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Seareli the Scripttrres:— John 5, 39. 
What is written in the Law ? How readest thoii?— Luke 10, 26. 



(la(Fr|isin of i\r JBiblF, 



FOR 



BIBLE CLASSES, SUNDAY SCHOOLS, 



AND 



PRIVATE SCHOOLS. 



^17- 



A word fitly spoken: is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. 

. ' Proverbs 25, 11. 



I" 



K 



CATECHISM DF THE BIBLE 



FDR 



BIBLE CLASSES. SUNDAY SCHOOLS, 



RNB 



PRI-yilTE SCHDDLS, 

/ 

.331, 

Press nf C. F. Bradley & Co., saW^-FanTtli St, 

laaa. 




FREFilCE, 



P^His little Catechism of the Bible was begun for our own 
r^ Bible Class, in the Sunday School of Calvary Church, 
Clifton. We now offer it for publication, hoping it may 
afford assistance to the younger Teachers, and to the scholars, 
who can study it either with or without a Teacher. It. 
is hoped that the chapters or references will be consulted 
and studied as the student proceeds. The Catechism is 
divided into Lessons. Should these Lessons be too long 
for some classes, they can readily be subdivided. In this 
attempt to portray and connect the leading events of the 
Bible, in these condensed sketches, many important omissions 
may occur to the reader. But if the truths we have pre- 
sented will serve as a ^ey to unlock other golden mysteries in 
our Book of Life, we have not written in vain. 

This little volume is dedicated to the Rector of Calvary 
Church, Rev. Dr. Edmund Rowland, and to the Sunday 
School, by their co-worker, 



Mrs. E. W. B. PHELPS. 



Clifton, Cincinnati, 
May 2ist, 1883. 



CATECHISM 



LESSON L 

FROM ADAM TO THE DELUGE, 

B, C. 4004—2348 (1656 years.) 

* ' Hail holy light ! Before the sun. 
Before the heavens thou wert." 

What is recorded in the first chapter of Genesis? 

In the beginning, God created the heaven and the 
earth. The earth was without form and void; dark- 
ness was upon the face of the deep: the Spirit of 
God moved upon the face of the waters. And God 
said, Let there be hght, and there was h'ght. 

Is it supposed that when God called matter into existence, 
that He finished His work in six days, or in six geological 
periods? 

Learned and godly men believe that, while the 
Spirit of God ^ moved upon the earth, that He was 
preparing the earth, through long geological periods, 
as a residence for man, and for all living creatures. 
But man can make no just estimate of the time that 
intervened between chaotic matter and the time that 
God saw every thing that He had made, and behold 
it was very good. 

1 " Thou, O Spirit, from the first 
Was present, and with mighty wings outspread. 
Dove-like sat'st brooding on the vast abyss, 
And mad'st it pregnant." — Milton. 

Is not the creation of Adam and Eve in the first chapter? 

All the creations of God are in the first chapter. 

After the light is created, and the waters are separated 



6 CATECHISM. 

from the waters, and the earth appears, then in the 
third period comes the grass, and the herbs bearing 
seed ; in the fourth period the sun and stars are seen 
in the firmament in their appointed places. 

Does it not appear that God in the fifth period speaks to 
the waters to bring forth abundantly? 

Yes, and in the sixth day or period, He said : * ^ Let 
the earth bring forth," and beasts of every kind ap- 
peared. In the evening of the sixth period, God said: 
'*Let us make man in our image," and to man He 
gave dominion. 

Is not the creation of the woman mentioned in the second 
chapter? 

Yes. God took a ^'side" or rib out of Adam and 
made woman. ^'And Adam said, this is bone of my 
bones, and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called 
woman for she was taken out of man." 

Are not the words used, when God makes man, quite 
different from the words used in creating the fish of the sea, 
the fowls of the air, and the beasts of the field? 

Yes. And God said, Let us make man in our 
image, after our likeness ; it is said in the second chap- 
ter that God formed man of the dust of the earth, 
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, . and 
man became a living soul. And Adam gave names 
to all living creatures. 

What is specially found in the third chapter? 

The temptation of the evil one, (symbolized under 
the form of the serpent), the Fall, and an obscure 
promise of Redemption. 



CATECHISM. 7 

What is meant by the Fall? 

When our first parents were created in Eden God 
imposed upon them a law, they disobeyed this law, 
and therefore fell from the state of innocence in 
which they had been created. 

Was not a promise of Redemption given to Eve? 

A promise was given that the seed of the woman 
should bruise the serpent's head. The seed of the 
woman, our blessed Lord bruised the serpent's head 
when He rejected His temptations, and when He 
rose triumphant from the grave, thereby overcoming 
sin and death. 

Is there not an utterance of St. Paul in his fifth chapter to 
the Romans bearing upon this subject? 

St. Paul says much in connection with it: **As in 
Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive." 

Was sacrifice for sin made at an early time? 

Yes; Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam, made 
offerings to God. Abel from his flocks, and Cain 
from the fruits of the earth. The offering of Abel 
was probably the appointed one, it was accepted, 
Cain's offering was not accepted; Cain, in wrath, rose 
up against Abel, his brother, and slew him. Seth 
a third son afterward occupied the place of Abel. — 
See Genesis, ^th Chapter. 

When did Noah live? 

Noah was the ninth in descent from Adam. Noah 
was of the family of Seth, the son of Lamech, and 
the grand-son of Methuselah. The descendants of 



8 CATECHISM. 

Seth are those called in the sixth chapter, ^ ' sons of 
God/' meaning godly men, and by the "daughters 
of men'' are meant the descendants of Cain who 
were not faithful to God. 

Are not the alliances of the families of Seth and Cain 
given as a cause of the increased wickedness of the people? 

Yes, this is the plain inference drawn from the sixth 
chapter. Noah only was just and found grace in the 
sight of the Lord. It is probable that the human 
inhabitants of the world, were at this time confined 
to the regions where they were at first created. 

Do you suppose that the flood was partial or universal? 

We suppose it was partial, as the flood was sent to 
punish the wickedness of man, the descendants of 
Seth and Cain. The expression, "all the earth," 
means all that land. 

How long B. C. was the ark built, and how long were Noah 
and his family confined to the ark? 

According to the usual Chronology, the flood was 
sent 2348 B. C. Noah went into the ark with his 
wife, three sons and their wives, and his possessions. 
*' Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by 
sevens, and unclean by twos.^' (Those that part the 
hoof and chew the cud were clean.) — p'h Chap. Gen. 
They remained one year in the ark. 

Did not Noah offer sacrifices when he came out of the ark ? 

Yes, he built an altar to God and offered clean 
beasts upon it. God gave to man the * ^ bow in the 
clouds" as a symbol that the habitations of man 
would no more be destroyed by a flood. '* While 



CATECHISM. 



9 



the earth remaineth, seed time nor harvest, summer 
and winter, day and night, shall not cease " 

To what lands did the children of Noah go, before diey 
dispersed themselves? 

They setded first in the plains of Mesopotamia, 
between the Euphrates and Tigris. The generations 
of Noah increased rapidly. A curse is pronounced 
upon Ham for irreverence to his father, but it seems to 
be specially visited on Canaan his son — a blessing is 
pronounced upon Shem and '-enlargement" to 
Japheth. 

Did not the sons of Ham build cities? 

Yes, Nimrod built Babel and other cities. In 2247 
B.C. some of these enterprising builders joined to- 
gether to built a lofty tower in Babel. Some think 
it was a building dedicated to Nimrod or Belus, 
already they were beginning to be idolatrous. Their 
language in a mysterious way became confounded, so 
that one no longer understood the language of the 
other. 

Did not Ham's descendants get the best regions of the 
earth? 

It has been said so, as Canaan's sons settled in 
Palestine called the land of Canaan, and Misraim or 
Menes obtained Egypt. But Asshur, son of Shem gave 
his name to Assyria, and his son Ninus built Nineveh. 
Elam another descendant of Shem settled Persia. 



10 CATECHISM. 



LESSON 11. 

CALL OF ABRAHAM, 

1921 B. C. 

Did not Heber, or Eber, give his name, who was a de- 
scendant of Shem, to the Hebrew people? 

Yes. Terah, a descendant of Eber, was the head 
of a pastoral family of three sons — Abram, Nahor 
and Haran. Their native place was Ur. This place 
was afterwards the seat of the Babylonian monarchy. 

Why did Abraham leave this country? 

It is said that Abraham stood alone in a tribe of 
idolaters as the worshipper of the one great Creator. 
He felt that the voice of God called upon him to 
leave that country. 

Where did he go? 

He went to the land of Canaan; his wife Sarah, 
his father and his nephew Lot went with him. He 
there received a promise that his posterity should in- 
herit the land. But the Canaanite dwelt there. 

In what words did the spirit of God, afterwards, make an- 
other revelation to Abraham? 

' ^ In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be 
blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice.'' — Gen: 

-22, i8. 

How was this prophecy fulfilled? 

In the birth of Jesus Christ, who was descended 
througn Mary, from Isaac, the child of Abraham, and 
the child of promise. 



CATECHISM. 1 1 

Had not Abraham another son? 

Yes. Ishmael was the son of Hagar, an Egyptian 
bond-maid. He was the ancestor of the Arabs, as 
Isaac was the ancestor of the Hebrews. (See the 
history of Hagar in the 15th and 21st chapters of 
Genesis). 

Was polygamy permitted among the Jews? 

Yes. When the first wife had no child, the husband 
took another wife, sometimes at the request of the true 
wife. 

Did not the Hebrews dwell in tents? 
Yes ; unlike the children of Ham, who built cities, 
the children of Shem dwelt in tents. 

Did not Lot, the nephew of Abraham, dwell in Sodom? 
Yes. Read the i8th chap, of Genesis, which con- 
tains the intercessory prayers of Abraham for that city. 

What type of the great sacrifice was this Patriarch per- 
mitted to ofTer? 

Abraham, at the command of God, bound his son 
Isaac, and prepared him, as it were, for a burnt offer- 
ing on Mount Moriah. A lamb was caught in a 
thicket, near this spot, and offered in Isaac's stead. 
22 Gen. 

Does not our Lord allude to this type when he says, "Abra- 
ham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad." 
—John 8, 56. 

Where did the children of Japheth migrate? 
The children of Javan found a home in the isles of 
the Mediterranean sea, and on the Southern coasts. 



12 CATECHISM. 

Japheth's descendants too became wild horsemen in 
Northern Asia. They had the promise of enlarge- 
ment. 

Who is regarded as a model of conjugal faith? 
Isaac, the husband of Rebecca. 
What sons had Isaac? 

Esau and Jacob — twin brothers. Esau was entitled 
to the birth-right and to his father's special blessing. 
Esau sold his birth-right when hungry and thirsty for 
a mess of pottage — Gen, 25. He lost the special 
blessing through the treachery of his mother and 
brother. 

What were some of the consequences to Jacob for this de- 
ception ? 

Jacob fled from his father's house through fear of 
Esau. Esau afterwards went to Edom; he married a 
daughter of Ishmael. In after years Esau met his 
brotlier with affection — Genesis '^t^- 

What were some of the incidents of the life of Jacob 
during his years of absence from his father's house? 

On the first night of his journey he had a remark- 
able dream and vision. He made at that time his 
first true prayer to God. When he awoke he felt 
that God was with him. He exclaims, '^How dread- 
ful is this place ! This is the house of God, the gate 
"of heaven." 

What vows did he make to God? 

And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, ^* If God will be 
with me, and keep me in the way that I go, and give 



CATECHISM. 13 

me bread to eat and raiment to put on, so that I come 
again to my father's house in peace — then the Lord 
shall be my God. This stone shall be a pillar in the 
house of my God, and I will give a tenth of all that 
thou give me. He called this place Bethel. — Chap. 
28, Gen. 

Did he not have a vision? 

He saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, 
and he saw angels ascending and descending. 

To what place did Jacob go? 

He goes to a place called Haran, the birth-place of 
his tribe, the former home of his mother. He lives 
with Laban, his uncle. He suffered much from the 
injustice of his uncle. Jacob marries the two daugh- 
ters of Laban, — Leah and Rachel. 

How long did he live with Laban? 

About twenty years. As he was returning to his 
home in Canaan his wife Rachel died, at the birth of 
her son Benjamin. Jacob was now the father of 
twelve sons, called the twelve Patriarchs. 

In what chapters of Genesis do we find the story or drama 
of Joseph and his brethren? 

In eight chapters of Genesis,, beginning with the 
37th, (the 38th chapter is excluded). The beautiful 
history ends with the 45th chapter. Then follows the 
migration of the family into Egypt and their settle- 
ment in Goshen. 

What were the words of Jacob when he stood before 
Pharaoh? 



14 CATECHISM. 

And Jacob said, "Few and evil have the days of 
my years been. I have not attained to the years of 
my fathers." Joseph presented first five of his 
brethren to the king. And Pharaoh said, "What is 
your occupation ? " And they said, ' ' Thy servants 
are shepherds, we and our fiithers." Pharaoh said to 
Jacob, "How old art thou?" "The days of the 
years of my pilgrimage are 150 years." 

Did not Jacob pronounce a blessing upon Pharaoh? 

Yes, the sojourner and pensioner blessed the king. 
Joseph gave his father and brethren a possession in 
Rameses or Goshen. Seventy of this family, besides 
their wives, settled in Goshen about 1707. 

Were there no true worshippers of God except this family 
of Jacob ? 

Yes ; probably many of whom we have no record. 
Jethro, of Midian, was a true worshipper. The 
Edomites kept the knowledge of God for a long time. 
Johab. mentioned in Chronicles as a descendant of 
Esau, is supposed to be identical with Job. 

Is it known when Job lived? 

No. Some think before Moses. We only know 
that he wrote one of the most beautiful books in the 
Bible. He is the most descriptive of the inspired 
poets. He utters this prophecy: "I know that my 
Redeemer liveth and that He shall stand at the latter 
day upon the earth." — See Job 19, 25. 

Did not Reuben. Simeon and Levi, the elder sons of Jacob, 
forfeit the foremost places by their sins and crimes? 



CATECHISM. 15 

Yes; these places passed to Judah and Joseph. 
Jacob reproves Reuben for instabihty, and Simeon 
and Levi for cruelty in their treatment of the inhabit, 
ants of Shechem. The patriarchs lived in the infancy 
of society. They believed in the unity of God, in his 
omnipotence and providence; yet the account given 
of them by the inspired historian, is rather historical 
than exemplary. 

From which of the sons of Jacob were the priests de- 
scended? 

From the trfbe of Levi, but not until the third 
generation. God chose Aaron and all his descend- 
ants to exercise the ministry of the priesthood. Be- 
sides the sons of Aaron, all the tribe of Levi were 
set apart as Levites to serve the priests, The priests 
alone could offer sacrifice. 

Was there no priestly office before the Aaronic priesthood? 

We read of several priests as Melchisedec, and 
Jethro, and Balaam ; but the first Jewish priest ac- 
cording to the Mosaic ritual, is Aaron, the high-priest 
and head of the Jewish priesthood. 

How were Manasseh and Ephraim, the sons of Joseph, 
counted among the tribes? 

They were counted as half tribes in the place of 
Joseph. Abundant blessings were invoked by Jacob 
when dying, on Joseph and his posterity. 

What promise was made to Judah? 
''The sceptre shall not depart from Judah until 
Shiloh come." — See Gen. 49, 10. Shiloh was a name 



1 () CATECHISM. 

for the Messiah. The tribe of Judah was the kingly 
tribe. Our Savior is called in the apocalypse, *'The 
lion of the tribe of Judah." 

/ 



LESSON III. 

MOSES. 



How long did the Israelites live in Egypt, and how large a 
number crossed the Red Sea? 

There has been much controversy on these two 
points in their history. It is generally thought that 
when the sacred writers say 430 years as the length of 
their sojourn, they mean to count from Abraham's 
day; and when they say 600,000 males, they mean to 
include men, women and children; and again it is 
conceded that primitive Hebrew notation is very im- 
perfectly understood. 

Must not the increase of the Hebrews have been great, as 
their numbers excited the jealousy of the king, lest they 
should rise as insurgents and overturn his throne? 

In modern times jealousies of this kind have existed, 
and in Egypt changes of dynasties and insurrections 
have frequently occurred, and at a very early period 
there was an irruption of shepherd kings. 

How was the short-sighted policy of the Pharaoh that 
*'knew not Joseph" made of none effect? 

The child exposed to danger in consequence of 
"^ his murderous ordinance,'' was saved by Pharaoh's 
daughter, nursed by a loving, pious mother, and 



CATECHISM. ^'^ 

educated in Pharaoh's court in all the learning of the 
Egyptians. 

Is it known how much of God^s truth remained during 
their long vassalage? 

No; they had intermitted circumcision. Perhaps 
Toche'bed, the mother of Moses, was a very pious 
woman, and had uttered a prayer for her child^s safety 
with every osier that she twisted in the ark of bul- 
rushes. She placed her daughter Miriam near by to 
watch the helpless one, who in the providence of 
God was to be the leader and lawgiver of her people. 

Is there not a beautiful series of providences in this whole 
story ? 

Yes, The mother becomes the nurse of the child, 
and the child reared in the king's palace, becomes 
learned in the wisdom of the Egyptians, and prepared 
for the high office that he was destined to fill. 

Was it not patriotism or love of his race that moved hira 
to interfere in the contest of the Egyptians and Israelites? 

The nobility of his soul is made manifest wherein 
he takes part with his oppressed countryman, the 
effeminacy of Pharaoh's court had not corrupted 
him, the kilhng was an accident, he becomes in conse- 
quence an exile. May not this circumstance have 
suggested to him, long afterwards, to provide cities 
of refuge. 

Did he not flee to Midian and become a member of the 
family of Jethro? 

Though Jethro was a worshipper of the true God, 
nothing is revealed of \ht faith or religion of Moses 
until God reveals himself by fire in the burning bush, 



18 CATECHISM. 

then, like St. Paul, his soul is kindled with burning 
zeal; yet he doubts himself: ''Who am I, that I 
should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth 
my people out of Egypt?'' And God said, "I will 
be with you, go, gather the Elders of Israel telj them 
that 'lam' hath sent you unto them, the God of your 
fathers, of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob. 

Does not Moses still doubt? 

Yes, he says, "I am not eloquent, I am of slow 
speech." And the Lord said, "Is not Aaron the 
Levite, thy brother? I know that he can speak well. 
He shall be thy spokesman and thou shall be to him 
as God. He will meet thee at Horeb.'- And Moses 
said, '*Oh my Lord, send by him who Thou wilt 
send." 

Does not the message that God sent to the Elders prove 
that ihey possessed traditions of their fathers? 

It is believed, that the family of Abraham when 
they migrated from Chaldea took with them to Canaan 
traditions in a written form. " Learned men have 
recently deciphered on the ruins of Babylon, similar 
or parallel relations with those of Genesis. But the 
Babylonians degenerated into Polytheism, while the 
Hebrews preserved Monotheism— ^the knowledge and 
worship of one God by divine inspiration." — Le 
Normant 

Who were the Elders to whom Moses was sent? 

They were the heads of the tribes. In the Hebrew 
Commonwealth each city had its Elders. Moses and 
Aaron appear before the king and urge a request that 



CATECHISM. 19 

they should lead their people out of the land. The 
Pharaoh, who now sat upon the throne, was an op- 
pressive tyrant, though he was very jealous of the 
number and power of the Hebrews, he was unwilling 
to part with so many useful subjects. 

Were their not miracles wrought by Moses in the presence 
of the King, and many afflictions sent upon the land before 
Pharaoh consente«i to let them go? 

Yes. This history of Moses and Pharaoh is con- 
tained in ten chapters of the book of Exodus, from 
the fourth to the fourteenth. 

What great National Festival was instituted before they 
left Egypt? 

This religious festival was called the Passover. It 
was instituted on account of the tenth plague that 
afflicted Egypt. It was ordained that the Angel of 
Pestilence should strike with death a member of every 
Egyptian household. To avoid this plague the 
Hebrews were required to sacrifice a lamb in every 
family. The Israelites, on that night, were com- 
manded to touch the lintels of their houses with the 
sacrificial blood, this evidence of their faith would 
save them from the penalty incurred by the Egyptians. 
The Angel passed over the houses of the Hebrews. 
And the Festival of the Passover was from this time 
regularly kept. 

After this terrible affliction, did not Pharaoh yield to the 
wishes of the Hebrews? 

Yes, he consented. The Hebrews passed over the 
Red Sea in safety, while the King repenting of his 



20 CATECHISM, 

permission sent his host to pursue them, they attempt- 
ing to follow ''sank like lead in the swollen waters." 

About what period of the world's history did Moses lead 
his people out of Egypt? 

Moses the most heroic of leaders and wisest of 
legislators, entered the wilderness of Arabia, in the 
year 1491, according to the most reliable chronology. 
They, the people, were supplied with manna for bread, 
quails, too, were ''brought^' by a strong wind, they 
had water from the rock but the water was bitter. 
Moses threw into the fountain the branch of a tree 
and the water was made sweet. 

Is not manna [See sixth chap, of St. John. j2 v.) still pro- 
duced in that region? 

Travelers tell us that a species of Tamarisk still 
produces a sweet substance that the Arabs call 
*'Mann.'^ The miraculous part of this transaction 
was the large supply and the double supply on the 
sixth day. 

Does not the fifteenth chapter of Exodus contain Moses' 
iamous song of victory ? 

Yes, it is a grand ode, sung by Moses and the 
Elders, {^Numbers 11, chaps. 16, 17, 24, 25.) and as 
they sing Miriam and the women in Israel chant 
_responsively, ' ' Sing ye to the Lord, for He hath 
triumphed gloriously, the horse and his rider hath He 
thrown into the sea." But the song of victory is 
scarcely ended when murmurs arise on account of a 
want of water. 



CATECHISM. 21 

Has not the water of that vicinity also been investigated 
by travelers? 

Yes; they say the waters of this region are often 
impregnated by an alkaline salt that can be removed 
or made sweet by a vegetable acid. 

Where did the Israelites stop for a time after the miracu- 
lous passage? 

*' Within a Peninsula made by the Red Sea, amid 
the peaks of Horeb, in this place was probably 
chanted the thanksgiving song, to which we have 
alluded. 

Is not the going out of Egypt called an Exodus? 

The second book of the Pentateuch is called Exodus 
for this reason. Milman and other writers say, that 
the Egyptians preserved records of this event. From 
these records the Greeks derived their disfigured 
stories of the Exode, The Greeks could have had 
no access to these records until centuries after the 
miracle. 

Was not this great event constantly alluded to in the ij*- 
fr^qnAnt history of the Jewish people ? 

It was a favorite subject of national poetry. By 
this event they learned the power of God, but it was 
difficult to convey to the minds of the nation a sense 
of the holiness of God. To convey this idea was 
probably the meaning of the divers washings in the 
Jewish ritual. 



22 CATECHISM. 

LESSON IV. 

WILDERNESS, 

Were they disturbed in their onward passage? 

The congregation *' pitched at Rephidim '' Here 
the people clamored for water. Moses was directed 
to smite the rock, and the waters gushed forth. — Ex- 
odus 17. 

Was it not at Rephidim that Israel was attacked by Amalek? 

Yes, according to Josephus a confederacy of Am- 
alekite chiefs, of the wilderness, attacked them. To 
Joshua was given the military command, while Moses, 
Aaron and Hur, in the sight of the people, stood on 
an eminence lifting their hands in prayer. 

Were they successful? 

The valour of the Israelites, sustained by the faith 
of their leaders in God, gave them victory. 

What friends Join the camp of Moses at this time? 

Jethro, with his daughter Zipporah, Moses' wife, 
and his sons. Jethro seeing the continuous work of 
Moses, advises him to select officers to share his bur- 
dens. Seek, he said, able men, who fear God, hating 
covetousness, and set them over thousands and hun- 
dreds and fifties. 

How long after they left Egypt was the law given ? 

In about fifty days after they received the ten com- 
mandments. How comprehensive, how spiritual is 
this brief code ! It bears the stamp of omnipotence. 
When Moses wrote this law by the inspiration of Je- 
hovah, on two tables of stone, he was near the loftiest 



CATECHISM. 23 

peak of the ridge of Mount Sinai. It was received 
amid terrific surroundings. Moses went down to the 
people and spake unto them. 

Is not this moral law in the 20th chapter of Exodus? 
Yes. Other laws for the government of the nation 
soon follow, also many ceremonial laws. 

Was not Moses permitted to come near, while Aaron, 
Nadab, Abihu, with the seventy elders, worshipped afar off? 

'' Moses was on the mount 40 days." — Exodus 20, 
21. ^ ^Moses heard the voice of God. And God said, 
^ ' My presence shall go with thee, and I will give 
thee rest." And Moses said, '^I beseech thee shew 
me thy glory." — Exodus^ 33, 18. ^'No man has 
seen God at anytime." — John i, 18. '*The only be- 
gotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, he 
hath declared him." 

Did not Moses break the first tables? 

Yes. When he returned to the people he found 
them in rebellion. They had compelled Aaron to 
make an idol — a golden calf. Moses in anger, broke 
the tables. He then interceded with God that he 
might be permitted to go again to the mount. He 
remained another forty days in the mount. He came 
down with the other tables ^Hike unto the first, and 
with the same words written upon them." 

Did not the people now promise to obey? 

Yes, some had mourned and sought the Lord; the 
worst rebels had been punished. The sons of Levi 
were the first to return to their allegiance to Moses, 



24 CATECHISM. 

Is it not said in the 25th chapter of Exodus that a modeJ 
or a pattern had been given to Moses, while in the mount, of 
the furniture of the inner tabernacle, of the altar, table, veil, 
and of the ark of the covenant? 

Glorious visions were doubtless revealed to Moses. 
Some have supposed that '' a vision of creation " was 
given, or the manner and order in which Almighty 
God brought this world into existence. It must be 
remembered that the books of Moses were written 
long after the events recorded in the book of Genesis. 

Have you not already said that it is believed, with reason, 
that the families of the Patriarchs preserved records or tradi- 
tions of the earliest history of man ? 

We have already spoken of the similiarity of the 
traditions of nations. The cosmogony of Moses is 
more rational than any other. While it gives to God 
the fiat of omnipotence, the power and glory of cre- 
ation, it does not exclude secondary causes. The 
order which Moses assigns to the different epochs of 
creation is said to be the same as that which has been 
deduced by geologists. 

Is it known when writing was invented? 

It must have been of early antiquity, as Job speaks 
of inscriptions on the rocks with an iron pen, and" of 
writing in a book or roll. Written characters have 
been found in Egypt anterior to the exodus. The 
Greeks say that Cadmus, a Phenician, introduced 
sixteen letters of the alphabet into Greece about four- 
teen centuries B. C. As Phenicia was a country 
bordering on Palestine, the assumption is that Phe- 
nicia learned letters from the people of Palestine. 



CATECHISM. Z^> 

Do you not suppose that Moses learned alphabetic writing 
in Egypt? 

The origin of all the arts and sciences is ascribed 
to Egypt. Moses doubtless learned writing in Egypt, 
as he was skilled in all the learning of the Egyptians, 
and employed it in writing his books. 

Have not some writers tried to rob Moses of the glory of 
writing the Pentateuch, and attempt to prove it the writing 
of a later time? 

The manners and customs and ideas of the Hebrews 
as related in the five books, prove their antiquity. 
Milman says, "I must acquiesce in their antiquity. 
It is as incredible to deny the antiquity claimed for 
the Pentateuch as it would be to say that Homer's 
poems were written after the Peloponesian war. The 
desert origin of certain usages cannot be disputed." 

Did not Mcses require the people to contribute their silver 
and gold and other possessions to adorn the tabernacle? 

Yes, they were required to furnish many things. 
Jewels for the breast-plate of the high priest; onyx 
stones for the Ephod; also badger skins and ram 
skins, dyed in rich colors, purple and fine linen and 
shittim wood, which is a species of Acacia. 

Had they brought riches from Egypt ? 

Yes. '* They brought the wages of long years of 
labor." — Exodus^ 35, 25. They had learned also 
many useful arts. The women spun and wove cloths 
of rich tissue. The district of Sinai was not barren, 
it abounded in the black Acacia and the Date Palm. 
These trees were felled by the men for the artificers. 



2t) CATECHISM. 

Describe the ark of the covenant? 

The ark was built of acacia, 2]/^ cubits long, 1 1^ 
broad, and the same in heigth. It was overlaid with 
pure gold within and without. The mercy seat was 
of pure gold of the same length, breadth and heigth 
as the ark. Two cherubims of gold rested on the 
mercy seat with wings outspread. There was a 
candlestick containing a talent of pure gold. {Exodus 
25^ V. 31-37). In Solomon's temple, instead of this 
candlestick there were ten similarly ornamented; they 
were taken to Babylon. In the temple of Zerubabel, 
there was again a single candlestick. Also an altar 
of burnt offering of wood, covered with brass to- 
gether with the horns thereof. The ark was lifted 
by rings of gold. 

What were the contents of the ark? 

The two tables of the Law, a pot of Manna, and 
Aaron's Rod. 

Will you describe the tabernacle? 

There was a tabernacle erected by Moses for his 
use, to give audience to the people, to hear causes and 
decide controversies. But the tabernacle for the 
worship of God was constructed magnificently in 
every part. According to the pattern ( Exodus 25,9,) 
seen in the mount: ^^The interior of the tabernacle 
was subdivided into two apartments, by a richly 
wrought curtain, called the veil, the outer room was 
called the holy place, the inner room the holy of 
holies. 



CATECHISM. 



27 



Where did they place the tabernacle when they entered 
Canaan? 

It was first erected at Gilgal, afterwards at Shiloh, 
ultimately at Jerusalem until the temple was built. 
They sometimes placed the ark in the front of the 
army. It was once taken by the Philistines, which 
was regarded as a great calamity. 

What book of Moses is especially a book of Laws? 

Leviticus. 



LESSON V. 

THE HIGH PRIEST. 
Numbers, the 4th Book of Moses, is so called be- 
cause it contains an account of the numbering of all 
the congregations of Israel. Each tribe pitched by 
his own standard with the ensign of their father's 
house. 

Is not Deuteronomy a recapitulation of the history of the 
Israelites? 

This book contains the last words of Moses to them, 
and much is repeated that other books contain, but 
the style is somewhat different. This book was given 
in the fortieth year. 

Were not the IsraeUtes a homeless horde when this body 
of Laws, when this Pentateuch was given them? 

Yes; but at no other time could these laws have 
been given. The books of the law were kept 
sacredly and strictly so long as Moses lived, and all 



28 CATECHISM. 

the days of Joshua the successor of Moses, and so 
long as the generation survived that were reared in 
the wilderness. 

Were not the Hebrews made to understand that they were 
permitted to enter into this land not because of their righte- 
ousness, but because of the abominable sins of the Canaanites? 

Yes, the priests constantly^ by daily sacrifices, 
testify to their own sin and the sins of the people. 
By the Lamb without blemish sacrificed at the Pass- 
over, they were taught to expect some fuller expiation 
yet to come. 

Did not the High Priest, Priests and Levites wear a 
distinctive dress.'* 

Yes. The robe of the High Priest was very 
splendid, his garments (robe and ephod) were wrought 
curiously with gold, and blue, and scarlet, and purple. 
On each shoulder was an onyx stone engraved with 
six of the tribes. The breast-plate was ten inches 
square, set with twelve jewels. The High Priest alone 
entered the most holy place. 

What of the Priests and Levites? 

The dress of the Priest was more simple, usually 
of fine linen, woolen was not worn by the ministers 
of the sanctuary. The Levites assisted the Priests in 
the ministrations of the Tabernacle or Temple. They 
studied the law and were the ordinary judges of the 
country, but sub-ordinate to the Priests. They had 
no estates in land, but received tithes. The Levites 
wore robes or ephods of fine linen in the sanctuary. 



CATECHISM. 29 

Have we Priests in the Jewish sense under the Christian 
dispensation? 

No. Our Lord, as our Priest, offered the one 
great sacrifice for the sins of the whole world 

Are there not Priests in the Roman Catholic Church? 

The Romanists consider them as Priests, because 
they think the Lord's Supper by transubstantiation 
becomes a real sacrifice Episcopalians call the 
second order in their ministry priests, because they 
administer the sacred symbols but not in the sense of 
a sacrifice. 

Were not three great festivals kept at Jerusalem? 

From the begining of Solomon's reign, about looo 
B. C, till the destruction of the first Temple, the 
tribes went up from all parts of Palestine and from 
other countries where they dwelt, three times a year, 
to observe the Passover, the Pentecost, and the feast 
of Tabernacles. The Passover was kept in March, the 
Pentecost fifty days after, and the feast of Tabernacle 
in September. These correspond to the great Christian 
festivals we now keep. 

Were not the Priests and Levites divided into courses? 

The Priests and Levites waited by turns weekly in 
the Temple. The Priests were descended from Levi 
through Aaron; the Levites were descended through 
the other sons of Levi. The Priests were divided 
into courses by David. 

Were not the sacrifices partly expiatory and partly offer- 
ings of gratitude? 



30 CATECHISM. 

Every sin, national or individual, had its appointed 
atonement, and the Priest had the power of absolving 
the offender. The smoke from the great brassen 
altar ascended in the name of the whole people. On 
the seventh day two animals were slain instead of 
one. The poorest of the people were encouraged to 
make oblations. 

Were not severe punishments inflicted on those who violated 
the law in an important point? 

We are told of Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron, 
who kindled their censers from an impure source in 
burning incense. They were struck dead — some 
suppose, from the 9th verse of the loth chapter, of 
Lev. : that the "strange fire" means that the priests 
were excited by strong drink. The warning given is: 
"Do not drink wine or strong drink when thou 
comest into the tabernacle, less thou die." This is a 
statute forever. 

What of Korah, Dathan and Abiram? 

These men were of the tribe of Reuben, from 
primogeniture, they claimed that their rights ought 
to be regarded in the government of the church and 
state. They rebelled against the idea of the Aaronic 
priesthood, and the civil sovereignty of Moses. 
Korah and his companions were destroyed by an 
earthquake. — See Numbers XVI. A remarkable 
attestation was given of the authority of Aaron. 
Twelve rods of almond were selected by Moses and 
laid in the tabernacle. The rods represented each 
tribe. Aaron's rod blossomed. — Numbers 17, 10. 



CATECHISM. 31 

Besides the great festivals, were there not ordinary feasts 
of a joyous description? 

Yes; every seventh day was a day of rest and in- 
struction, also a time of social intercourse. At the 
gates of the cities rich and poor, master and slave 
met together in innocent mirth. Every seventh year 
the Hebrew slave was free from his master, the earth 
was to lie fallow during this year ; every fiftieth year 
was a year of jubilee. All estates reverted to their 
original owners. 

Did not slavery exist among the Jews? 

In a very mitigated form, the Hebrew slave was 
free every seventh year, for the foreign slave injunc- 
tions occur constantly in the Mosaic code requiring 
kindness, charity and instruction to the ^^ stranger 
within their gates.'' ^^Thou shalt not rule over him 
with rigor, but thou shalt fear the Lord.'' 

Why did Moses appoint cities of refuge? 

The Hebrew penal law enforced the highest respect 
for the life of man; *' blood for blood " was demanded, 
but the accused was committed to judicial authority. 
A barbarous usage however, sometimes called upon 
the nearest kin to avenge the death of his relative, 
whether bv accident or malice. These cities were 
appointed for the homicide to find protection until the 
accused could have a judicial trial. 

Were not the laws of Moses favorable to the poor? 

Yes. The gleanings of every harvest field were left 
to the poor. See the story of Ruth the Moabitess, 
the ancestor of David. 



82 ' tJATECHlSM. 

Was not the war law of the Hebrews barbarous and severe? 

A sanguinary, relentless conduct was enjoined upon 
them on their invasion of Canaan. Almighty wisdom 
determined that a bloody race, licentious and idola- 
trous should be extirpated; severity to the seven na- 
tions in Canaan was the exception not the rule. The 
observant reader of history will sec that national sins 
bring their own punishment. 



LESSON VI. 

In what part of the wilderness did the Israelites remain 
longest? 

Nothing is known except the names of the stations 
where they dwelt, most of these, are in the celebrated 
district around Mt. Sinai. Caravans crossed this 
region regularly which could supply many of their 
wants. About two years before they crossed the 
Jordan, they left their old stations and migrated to 
the borders of the promised land 

Was it not about this time that they encamped in the land 
of Moab? 

Yes. We are told that Balak, King of Moab, was 
alarmed at the entrance of so great a host upon the 
borders of his domain. Not knowing that the 
Israelites were miraculously supplied with manna he 
feared a famine, though Moab was at that time very 
fertile. 



CATECHISM. 33 

Why did he send for Balaam, a prophet of Mesopotamia? 

He had heard of his wisdom and supposed sanctity, 
and Balak supers dtiously thought that his God would 
curse or bless this people on his intercession. The 
history of Balaam and Balak begins in the XXII 
chapter of the book of Numbers. Read this history. 

Was not Balaam it true prophet? 

He seems to have been a worshipper of God, but 
Hke some good but infirm men in all ages, he was 
covetous, he listened to the voice of the tempter. 
He describes the encampment of the Israelites in 
these words, when he saw Israel abiding in his tents, 
according to their tribes: "How goodly are thy 
tents, O, Jacob, as the valleys are they spread forth, 
as gardens by the river's side, as trees of lign-aloes 
which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees 
beside the waters." 

Had not the Israelites severe trials on their journey to 
Moab? 

A t different stations on their way, Miriam the sister 
of Moses, and Aaron, the elder brother and High 
Priest die. Miriam dies at Kadesh and is buried 
there; Aaron dies on Mt. Horeb. 

Who is the successor of Aaron in the priesthood? 

Moses is with his brother when he dies: he takes 
the priestly garments of Aaron and transfers them to 
the eldest son of Aaron, Eleazar. All the house of 
Israel mourn for him thirty days. 

Was not this portion of the wilderness infested by serpents? 

Yes ; many of the people were stung or bitten by 



34 CATECHlSiM. 

them, in their suffering they cried to Moses for relief. 
Moses was directed to put a serpent of brass (^Numbers 
21, 9,) upon a pole, to this serpent if any of them 
looked they were healed. 

Does not our Lord quote this [John in, 14, 75,) as an illus- 
stration of the manner in \^hich he would be lifted up? 

We have authority in this allusion made by the 
Savior to the ^^ brazen serpent," to regard it as a type 
of the cross on which He died, that He might heal 
His people of their sins and draw them unto Him. 

Had the people of Israel increased in number since their 
departure from Egypt? 

They were numbered for the third time just before 
they crossed the Jordan, and were found to be about 
the same in number; many of the old ones who had 
come out of Egypt were dead, but the young nation 
was strong and vigorous. 

Did not Moses before he ascended to Nebo to die, give his 
people a solemn charge? 

In Deuteronomy 30, 31, 32, 33, he recites to the 
assembled people their eventful history. The old 
man of 120 years, pronounces a blessing upon each 
tribe. His song is full of tenderness, of warning and 
exhortation. *^I call heaven and earth to witness, 
that I have set before you life and death, blessing and 
cursing, therefore choose life." To Joshua he said: 
'*Be strong, be of good courage." 

Did not Moses appoint a ratification of the law, to take 
place after he had left them ? Did it not take place under 
Joshua, and in what did it consist? 



CATECHISM. 35 

A sacrifice was offered on an altar of stones^ as a 
testimony of their acceptance of the laws and consti- 
tution that Moses had framed for them. Six of the 
tribes were appointed to stand on Mount Ebal and 
six on Mount Gerizim. Ebal was a type of the 
desolation of the wicked, and Gerizim blooming and 
fruitful of the happiness of the obedient. 

Are not Ebal aud Gerizim so situated, that every word 
uttered on one Mount can be distinctly heard on the other? 

Yes; these two mountains face each other. In the 
8th chapter of Joshua, there is an account of the 
actual and very solemn ratification. Curses were 
pronounced upon Ebal for all infractions of the 
moral law; and blessings on Gerizim were uttered for 
the devout and obedient. An altar of stones was 
erected by Joshua according to the injunction of 
Moses, and all the words of the moral law written 
upon the stones. 

Have not all civilized nations derived much assistance in 
their codes from the polity of the Hebrew lawgiver? 

Undoubtedly, Christianity and Mahometanism, 
both acknowledge their indebtedness to the Mosaic 
Institutes. To his own nation Moses was chieftain, 
historian, poet, and lawgiver. 

Did not Moses die on Mount Nebo? 

Yes; he ascended the Mount and looking across 
the Jordan, he gazed upon a magnificent prospect, 
and God enabled Moses to see all the land of Gilead 
unto Dan and Judah. He saw the city of Jericho 
embowered in palms. This was the first city that 
yielded to the prowess of Joshua. 



36 CATECHISM. 

Did not Joshua set up a memorial of his passage over the 
Jordan ? 

He erected a monument of stones, where the feet 
of the priests had stood that bore the ark of the cov- 
enant. 

Was not Palestine, when Joshua entered it, governed by 
many petty kings? 

Yes; five of these kings seeing the success of 
Joshua, combined against him. {See Josh, loth, iiz^.) 
Joshua, by a rapid night march, overcame and de- 
feated these Canaanites, or Amorites. It is said that 
a storm of hail destroyed more of these Amorites 
than ^'the swords of the children of Israel/' 

Do not some commentators think that the loth of Joshua 
gives an account of a stupendous miracle? 

This account is very differently interpreted. ' 'Joshua 
spoke or prayed to the Lord, then he apostrophises the 
sun and moon : * Sun stand thou still, and thou moon 
in the valley of Ajalon.' So the sun stood still and 
hasted not to go down about a whole day/' 

Hovr is this understood? 

Those who think a miracle is intended to be repre- 
sented in these words, say that the light was prolonged 
by the preternatural refraction of the sun's rays, after 
the sun had actually sunk below the horizon They 
who contend for the miracle, say that a sufficient 
cause can be found in the death blow given to the 
prevailing superstition, — the worship of the sun and 
moon. Dean Milman thinks that the apostrophe to 
the heavenly bodies is a poetical account taken from 
the book of Jasher. 



CATECHISM. 37 

Is not this book mentioned in the loth chapter? 

Yes. *'It is remarkable/' says the same author, 
*^that there is no allusion to this event in the canoni- 
cal books of the Bible." 

Who was Rahab? 

This woman received and protected the spies of 
Israel in Jericho. She was acquainted with Jewish 
history, and believed that the Israelites were under 
the special protection of Heaven. The Septuagint 
translation has connected with the name of this 
woman an opprobious epithet, and from the same 
source it is found in Hebrews' XI, but Rosenmuller 
says it means the keeper of a caravansera or inn. 
The Jews consider the word as meaning inn-keeper. 

Is not this woman careful to collect her kindred in Jericho 
in her home? 

Yes; the spies promised to protect her property and 
kindred when the city is besieged if she will bind in 
her window a scarlet thread so that her house could 
be identified. By faith in the miracles reported to 
her, she saved her home and friends. She, Rahab, 
afterwards married into the royal tribe of Judah and 
was the mother of Boaz, the husband of Ruth. 



LESSON VIL 

THE JUDGES OF ISRAEL. 

Will you relate an incident mentioned in Numbers II, 29, 
that seems to indicate a difference in the breadth of the 
characters of Moses and Joshua? 

On one occasion some young men of the camp 



38 CATECHISM 

feeling that they were moved by the spirit of God, 
wished to exhort and instruct those about them. 
Joshua said to Moses, '^forbid them my lord," Moses 
replied, *'Enviest thou for my sake, would to God 
that all the Lord's people were prophets." This 
suggests a passage in the ministry of our Lord, when 
a disciple (St John) makes a like request. — {Luke 
gth, 49, 50.) 

How long did the Israelites live under the authority of 
judges? 

More than 400 years. It is said that the twelve 
tribes lived in a general obedience to the laws of 
Moses, all the days of Joshua, and so long as that 
generation lived who 1 emembered the history of their 
people in the wilderness. How could they forget 
the tradition received of the circumstances that sur- 
rounded the sublime gift of the Moral Law on Sinai ? 

Who was the first judge of Israel? 

Joshua, who was at the head of the hosts of Israel 
when they entered the '' Land of Promise," was the 
first judge, and Samuel was the last judge. 

How were the lands divided after the conquest? 

The families of Joshua and Caleb received larger 
grants, but the whole land was subject to the common 
law of property. Ephraim was the most powerful 
tribe in the north; Benjamin and Judah had the 
richest vineyards and olive groves. The tribes to 
the east of the Jordan were pastoral. 

Was not the time of the judges a period of anarchy and 
ignorance? 



CATECHISM. 39 

Some events recounted in their long history would 
seem to justify such an idea, but it must be borne in 
mind that history takes more note of the infractions of 
law than of its observance. It has been called the 
heroic age, Gideon, Barak, Jepthah and Samson were 
heroes, who deHvered their country from oppressive 
tyrants. 

Were they religious men? 

They had faith in God. They disobeyed their law 
in some points. They did not know God's love and 
holiness as they have been revealed to us by Jesus 
Christ. These characters are drawn in strong colors 
by the sacred historian (Samuel) not as models, but 
to exhibit how in special, trying emergencies these 
remarkable men, by their bravery and patriotism, de- 
livered their afflicted countrymen by prodigies of valor. 
The life of Samson is so rich in incident that it has 
been made the subject of a drama by a great poet. 

In order to describe the sufferings of the Israelites at this 
time, is it not said that they were compelled to reap their 
field in secret, and for fear of their enemies to walk through 
by-ways? 

Yes; in this wretched state of affairs, a woman, 
Deborah, took the seat of judgment. She called 
upon Barak, who led a part of the tribes successfully 
against Sisera, the captain of the King of Canaan, 
who had nine hundred chariots of iron, and had 
mightily oppressed the children of Israel for twenty 
years. 

Did not Barak have signal success? 



40 CATECHISM. 

Yes; but partly by the hands of a woman. After 
Sisera's defeat he fled to the house of Jael, whom he 
supposed to be friendly. She knowing the great evil 
he had done to the people she loved, struck a nail in 
his head while he was asleep. Israel was thus 
delivered. — See Judges^ chap, iv, 21 t;., 26, 27. 

Does not history tell us of similar acts among highly civil, 
ized people in modern times? 

Yes; when a nation is goaded to desperation an act 
like Jael's is applauded, though in itself the act must 
be condemned. It was natural, was it right ! No. 

Does not Deborah applaud this action ? 

How could it be otherwise, when her down-trodden 
nation gained the fruits of their victory by this act. 
She with Barak, celebrates the grand victory in the 
5th chapter, by an eloquent song. In the war with 
Jabin and Sisera, Issachar, Zebulon and Napthali 
were engaged. These wars did not involve all the 
tribes at the same time. 

Was it not in the time of the judges that Naomi and her 
daughter Ruth returned from Moab to dwell among her 
kindred ? 

Yes; the story of Ruth is beautifully told. To her 
mother-in-law she says, "Entreat me not to leave thee, 
or return from following after thee. For whither thou 
goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge. 
Thy people shall be my people, and thy God shall be 
my God '' Ruth, the gleaner, becomes the wife of 
Boaz, the kinsman of her husband and the grand- 
mother of David — See Book of Ruth, 



CATECHISM. 4 1 

Did not Hannah, the mother of Samuel, live in the time 
of the judges? 

Yes; though wickedness and licentiousness existed 
under the judges as in the case of Hophni and 
Phinehas, sons of Eli the priest, yet there were at 
this time deeply spiritual characters, such as Hannah, 
Samuel and Eli, and perhaps many others who did 
not become historical. — 2d chaf. Samuel. 

Was not Samuel the last judge of Israel? 

Yes; the people had suffered so much from divisions 
among the tribes that they begged for a king, hoping 
that a centralized authority would cause them to be 
feared and thereby give them more peace, union, and 
strength. 

Did Samuel accede to their request? 

Yes; he appointed, about 1000 B. C, Saul a 
Benjamite, one of the smallest of the tribes, to 
become the king of the united nation of Israel. 
Samuel was both wise and just in his judicial office. 
He held three seats of justice, at Bethel, at Gilgal, 
and at Mispeh. He lived at Ramah. He wrote the 
Book of Judges and the two books that bear his name. 

Is it not supposed that though there was desolation among 
some of the tribes in the time of the judges, that there was 
really more peace than w^ar during this long period? — Sam, 
^th chap. 

When they kept the laws of Moses and Joshua 
they had peace, when they refused to be governed by 
this wise code they suffered. Yet the polity of Moses 
was not a failure. 



42 CATECHISM. 

Did not the Philistines become a very troublesome enemy 
during the youth of Samuel? 

Yes; the Philistines had made Gaza their capital 
city, near to the tribes of Simeon and Judah. They 
lived near the sea and were governed by lords in five 
cities. So troublesome had they become that the 
people insisted that Hephin and Phinehas, priestsand 
sons of EH, should go out and fight them. 

Did not this army take the ark of the covenant with them? 

Yes ; they did this to excite enthusiasm among the 
people. But the people well knew the wickedness of 
the priests that led them. For their wicked doings in 
the temple, God permitted them to be overthrown 
and slain, and the ark was taken. 

Did not this defeat cause the death of their father, Eli? 

Yes; the old man fell from the gate where he was 
sitting, dead. Eli seems to have been humble and 
submissive, — ^'It is the Lord," said Eli, '^let Him do 
what seemeth Him good." One of the children of 
Phinehas was called by his mother '^Ichabod," when 
the ark of God was taken by the Philistines, — but Eli 
is censured for the deficient government of his 
children. It is also intimated that he had shared 
with his sons in the illgotten riches of the temple. 

Did not Samuel command an army against the Philistines? 

Yes ; Samuel gathered all Israel to Mizpeh, where 
he fasted, prayed, and sacrificed. In the battle that 
followed the assemblage at Mizpeh, Samuel gained a 
victory. He called the name of the place of conquest 
" Ebenezer". The cities of Israel were restored to 
them. 



CATECHISM. 43 

Did not Samuel judge Israel all his life? 

When he grew old he made his sons to sit in judg- 
ment. The people did not like this, but clamored 
for a king. 



LESSON VIIL 

SAUL, THE FIRST KING OF ISRAEL. 

1094 B. C. 

Samuel received counsel of God to grant the peti- 
tion of the people. Samuel represented to the people 
that kings would tyrannize over them, and would seek 
to humble their sons and daughters. Saul reigned 
as king 40 years. 

Did not Israel become united, warlike, and free under the 
sway of Saul? 

Yes. Saul, in the early part of his reign did well, he 
had an able general in his uncle Abner, and a wise', 
good son in Jonathan. 

Was it not in this reign that Goliath the champion of the 
Philistines, came up to challenge the Israelites? 

Yes. David, the young son of Jesse, had come up 
to the army to bring refreshment to his brothers who 
were soldiers in the army. Hearing the defiant boast 
and challenge of Goliath, the soul of David kindled to 
enter upon the contest. His desire was so great that 
he appeared before the king. Saul wished David to 
clothe himself in armour, but he declined the king's 
offer. In his shepherd's garb he approached the 
gigantic combatant, with a few smooth stones from 
the brook he began the attack, trusting in the Lord 



44 CATECHISM. 

who had defended him from a lion and a bear. He 
slew this enemy of his people. 

What was Saul's inquiry when he saw the young man? 

Whose son is this? When Saul became unhappy 
and morose, David was brought to the palace to 
amuse the king with his music. He afterwards mar- 
ried Michal, the daughter of King Saul. David's 
military successes from this time were so great, that it 
roused the mad jealousy of the king. 

Did not the chants of the women when they met the suc- 
cessful army on their return, increase the disorder of the 
king? 

The chorus of the daughters of Israel, whose custom 
it was to meet the returning army, if victorious^ was 
very grievous to Saul; "Saul," they chanted, "has 
slain his thousands, but David his ten thousands." 
Saul, in his madness, made it unsafe for David to re- 
main in the palace 

Did not David use many stratagems to convince Saul that 
he did not desire his death? 

Yes; on one occasion in a dark cave he cut off the 
skirts of the king's tunic, to prove to him how com- 
pletely he had been in his power. On another 
occasion he saved Saul's life on the battlefield and 
reproved Abner for his carelessness. — See XXVI chap. 
I, Samuel. The king seemed touched with these 
evidences of David's faith, but his jealous suspicions 
soon regained ascendency. 

Was not Saul killed in a battle with the Philistines? 

He and his admirable son Jonathan fell on the 



CATECHISM. 45 

mountains of Gilbon. The grief of David was 
genuine for the loss of Saul and his son, though he 
gained a crown. David mourned bitterly for Jonathan, 
* ' He loved me with a love passing the love of women.' 
Saul and Jonathan were lovely in their lives, and in 
their deaths were not divided. — Read III chap. ^ 2d 
Samuel "jth verse, the story of Rispah's motherly 
affection. 

Did not David become king at the death of Saul? 

He was king for seven years over Judah and 
Benjamin. Meanwhile Abner was employed in 
keeping the other tribes for Saul's son, Ishbosheth, 
but from some disgust he, Abner, forsook the cause 
of Saul's son and joined the cause of David. Joab 
was the great general of David. On Abner's defec- 
tion, David became king of all Israel. 

Did not David become a great military leader? 

Yes. He extended the kingdom on every side. 
With the aid of his captain Joab, all the adjacent 
nations became tributary, — Philistines, Ammonites, 
Moabites, Edomites. The land around Moriah had 
been conquered in the time of Joshua. The fortress 
however, still belonged to the Jebuites. 

Did not David offer the chieftainship of the army to him 
who should scale the precipice? 

Yes. Joab clambered up the cliff, dashed the defend- 
ers down, and was proclaimed captain of the host. The 
city was immediately occupied and became the capital 
of the new kingdom and the royal residence. 

Had not this town formerly been called Salem, and did not 
David now call it Jerusalem ? 



46 CATECHISM. 

This city then became the sacred city of the Jews, 
a glorious city in the time of David and Solomon. 
David removed his court from Hebron, but above all 
he brought thither the ark of the covenant. This 
was the day of a great festival. It is said that seven 
psalms bear traces of this festival. — See the sublime 
words of the i^th, igth a7td 2^th Psalms. 

Did not Michal, the wife of David, feel offended at his 
enthusiasm on this occasion? 

Yes; they were probably separated from this time. 
• — 2d Sa^miel, 6-21. 

Did not this king commit two deadly sins in the early part 
of his kingly life? 

Yes. David wished to marry Bathsheba, the wife 
of a captain of his army. To accomplish this wicked 
design, David directed that Uriah should be placed 
in the front of the battle, Uriah fell in batde, when 
the king was far away, but in the sight of God, David 
was his murderer. Nathan, the prophet, is sent to 
reprove David in the parable of the ewe-lamb. — Read 
12th of 2d Samuel. David said, ^'1 have sinned 
against the Lord." The consequences of this sin 
could never be wiped out upon earth, but his sin was 
remitted in heaven His penitence was deep. He 
was sorely chastened. 

Is not the 51st Psalm a proof of his penitence? 

It is SO considered. The psalms of David are 
echoed through the courts of the Lord to this day. 
These psalms are a treasure to the penitent spirit; 
they are wells of refreshment to the weary soul. 



CATECHISM. 47 

David showed great tenderness of soul at the death 
of his son Absalom. — 2d Samuel^ \gth chapter. 

Did David write all the psalms? 

No. There are 150 psalms. Many of the most 
beautiful {see i, 15, 18, 23,) are attributed to him. 
Some of the Psalms were either written or sung by 
Asaph. One was written by Moses, the 9o//^ Fsalni, 
Some were written while Judah was in captivity, 
others after their return. One was written for the 
consecration of second Temple. 

Is it known what Psalm was sung at the last Paschal supper 
of which Jesus partook with His disciples? 

According to the usage, the 113th to 11 8th in- 
clusive. Let us return to the history of David; 
David had great faith in God, he was merciful, just, 
and true. He was a poet. The harp of David was 
full stringed, every angel of joy and sorrow swept 
over the chords as he passed. The great poets of 
the Bible, Hebrew critics say, are Job, David. 
Isaiah. In David's psalms are many sublime 
passages, but he chiefly excels in the pleasing, soft 
and tender. David was a great soldier, and after 
obtaining his kingdom he governed it wisely and well. 

What is meant by the expression, that he was a man after 
God's own heart? 

It simply means he was a great monarch and 
governed his kingdom by laws approved by Heaven. 

Is not this an unfortunate expression (see Chron. nth chap.) 
of the historian? 

Yes. Though David's kingly government may 



48 CATECHISM. 

have been perfect, his self-government did not always 
correspond. The tone of his life, penitent and pious 
as he was, seems to have been lowered by the poly- 
gamy of an Eastern court; yet David was a wonder- 
ful man, he was raised up by Almighty God to carry 
out His wise and righteous plans. His psalms are a 
joy forever. 



LESSON IX. 

SOLOMON, THIRD KING OF ISRAEL. 

Who succeeded David? 

Solomon, the son of Bathsheba. The first child 
of this mother was removed by death as a declared 
punishment for David's sin. At this death, David 
declares his behef in the immortality of the soul: 
^^ I shall go to Him, but He will not return to me." 
David was a tender father, as is proved by the history 
of his son Absalom. — See the history of Absalom's re- 
bellion in the i^th chap, of 2d Samuel, 

Was not Solomon the wisest of men? 

**His wisdom," says the sacred writer, ^'exceeded 
the wisdom of the children of the east country, and 
all the wisdom of Egypt." The reign of Solomon 
was made illustrious by the erection and consecration 
of the Temple at Jerusalem, 1000 B. C. He was 20 
years of age when he ascended the throne of united 
Israel. 

Did not Solomon have a remarkable dream at the beginning 
of his reign? 



CATECHISM. 



49 



Yes. Solomon went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices to 
God. The Lord spake to him in a dream by night; 
and God said, ^^Ask what I shall give thee;" and 
Solomon said, ''Thou hast made Thy servant king, 
and I am but a little child. I know not how to go 
out or come in, give Thy servant an understanding 
heart to judge Thy people, this great people that I 
may discern between good and bad. 

Was this prayer acceptable to the Most High? 

Yes. And God said, ''because thou hast asked 
for wisdom and hast not asked for long life, or for 
riches, or the life of thine enemies, I will give thee a 
wise and understanding heart. 

How early in his reign did Solomon begin to construct the 
temple? 

In the fourth year of his reign. Solomon entered 
into a contract with Hiram, king of Tyre. Tyre 
agreed to furnish cedar and fir, and from Sidon came 
skillful workmen in wood and stone. Hiram agreed 
to send the building material on floats by sea, to the 
place that Solomon appointed. 

What did Solomon pay in return? 

He supplied Tyre and Sidon with wheat and oil, 
he also sent men to the mountains of Lebanon to labor 
with the Tyrian workmen in hewing the trees. Tyre 
was the port of Palestine, and Palestine was the 
granary of Tyre. 

How long was the Temple in building ? 

It was seven and a half years in building. The 
Temple rose in silence without the noise of hammer 
or any tool. 



50 CATECHISM. 

In what chapter is the prayer of dedication? 

Read the 8th chapter of kings. The dedicatory 
prayer is grand and beautiful, but Solomon was not 
only eloquent in speech, but a great writer. The 
inspired wisdom of David and Solomon, left to the 
children of God a priceless heritage in the Psalms 
and Proverbs. 

Repeat to me Agar's prayer in the 30th chap, of Proverbs? 
^^ Remove far from me, vanity and lies; give me 
neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food con- 
venient for me ; lest I be full and deny Thee and say, 
'Who is the Lord'; or lest I be poor and steal, and 
take the name of my God in vain." 

What books did Solomon write? 

He wrote the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the 
Canticles, or Song of Solomon. It is supposed he 
wrote the Canticles in early life, about the time he 
married Pharaoh's daughter. Though Solomon wrote 
the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes under the 
inspiration of God, yet we see the experience of the 
man who feels the vanity and sin of a long life of in- 
dulgence. 

Can you believe that Solomon was an idolater? 

We cannot believe that a mind that conceived such 
sublime notions of God could ever have had any faith 
in idols. He allowed his heathen wives to have their 
way, and to indulge in idolatrous practices. 

Was the worship of the Temple ever intermitted ? 
No; the words of Holy Writ are: **He went 
not fully after the Lord." 



CATECHISM. 51 

Is there not much in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes that looks 
like repentance ? 

In Proverbs he utters the most eloquent warnings 
against the wiles of strange women. In this book 
are the most striking monitions to beware of her, 
*' whose house leads down to the chambers of death.'' 
The Proverbs of Solomon, unlike the maxims of other 
nations, are deeply imbued with a religious spirit. 

How long did Solomon reign? 

He reigned forty years, the same length of years as 
his father David. Two reigns of such continued 
prosperity made Israel powerful and wealthy, but alas, 
the weakness and wickedness of the succeeding king, 
Rehobaum, destroyed the union of the tribes and the 
unity of the nation. 

We have said little of the elegant interior arrangements of 
the Temple. 

The courts for strangers, women, men and priests, 
were built of huge stone, quarried at a distance, these 
were surrounded by cloisters with galleries of rooms 
for the lodging of the Priests and Levites, many 
hundreds in number. 

Was not the main building of white marble? 

Yes; and the Holy of Holies was overlaid even to the 
roof with plates of gold. The elegance and grandeur 
of Solomon's court was the boast of the Jewish people 
in all succeeding generations. 

What does our Lord say in regard to this subject? 
He points to the lilies of the field when He is 
enforcing the truth of God's care of His creatures 



52 CATECHISM. 

and says : ^* Solomon in all his glory, was not arrayed 
like one of these.'' 

Who was the fourth king of Israel ? 

Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, came to the throne 
at forty-one years of age ; but he seems to have de- 
rived little wisdom from his illustrious father. When 
some of his subjects led by Jeroboam came to him to 
mquire about the policy he intended to pursue he 
replied them in a harsh way, thus losing the opportuni- 
ty of conciliation. Ten of the tribes believing that 
he would reign as a tyrant, determined to secede and 
choose another king to reign over them. 

Who was Jeroboam ? 

It appears that Jeroboam was regarded by Solomon 
as a man of valor and 'industrious,' he therefore 
promoted him to an important charge, he afterwards 
manifested ambition and was banished to Egypt the 
court of Shishak. At the death of Solomon, he, 
Jeroboam, returned to his country and led the ten 
tribes in rebellion. 

Were there not two distinct kingdoms in Palestine from 
this period? 

Yes, two distinct kingdoms; the kingdoms of Israel 
and Judah. Rehoboam at first desired to make war 
on Jeroboam, but he received a message to forbear 
and not to fight against his brethern. He had been 
but three years on his throne, the dissevered kingdom 
of Judah and Benjamin (the two tribes that cleaved 
to him), when Shishak came up to Jerusalem and 
made war against it. 



CATECHISM. 53 

LESSON X. 

REHOBOAM AND SHISHAK, KING OF EGYPT. 

We read in the 12 th chapter of 11 Chronicles, 
that Shishak came up against Jerusalem, and that he 
took treasures from the house of the Lord and treas- 
ures from the king's house. He took away the shields 
of gold that Solomon had made. Rehoboam replaced 
them by shields of brass. 

Is it not said by some of the learned, that there is a column 
at Thebes which contains a record of Shishak's victories in 
Palestine? 

Yes, this is asserted, and some suppose that Shishak 
and Sesostris are identical, but the learned Milman 
supposes that his career was much earlier, he thinks 
that Sesostris made his conquests when the Israelites 
sojourned in the wilderness. 

Though Rehoboam received counsel not to fight against 
the ten tribes, did not Abijah, his son and successor gain a 
great victory over the troops of Jeroboam? 

Yes, he recovered some of the cities he had lost. 
The religious feelings of the people were with Abijah, 
and when the sacred trumpets sounded in Judah^s 
army, it seemed to create much enthusiasm : and the 
children of Israel fled before Judah. It is believed 
that there is an error in the numerals that state the 
numbers engaged on both sides. — See 2d Chron, i^th 
chapte7\ 

Did not the tribe of Levi go to Jerusalem to conduct the 
services of the Temple? 

Undoubtedly ; also many who loved to worship in 



54 CATECHISM. 

the Temple, constantly resorted to Jerusalem. Jero. 
boam wishing to check the visits of the people to 
Jerusalem, (except at stated times,) erected calves of 
gold, supposed to be a sort of imitation of the 
Cherubim, at Dan and Bethel and made himself a 
priest. 

Did not Asa, the successor of Abijah in Judah, work many 
reforms? 

He took away all the images and opposed every 
species of idolatry. Baasha, king of Israel, con- 
temporary with Asa, king of Judah, seeing that many 
of his subjects went up to Jerusalem to reside, deter- 
mined to build a fortress at Ramah to prevent emi- 
gration. 

Was there not confusion in the succession of the kings of 
Israel, after the death of Jeroboam ? 

The race of Jeroboam had no worthy descendants, 
adventurers seized upon the throne. Baasha destroyed 
the lineage of Jeroboam, took possession of the 
throne of the ten tribes, and occupied it 24 years. 

Were not Baasha's posterity destroyed in like manner? 

While Elah, son of Baasha, was drinking himself 
drunk in his palace, Zimri, his captain, conspired against 
him and killed him in the 27 th year of Asa, king of 
Judah, but Zimri reigned only seven days. When 
Zimri heard that the people had chosen Omri to be 
king and were besieging his city Tirzah,like a second 
Sardanapulous, he went into the palace, set fire to 
it and perished. 

Was not Omri distinguished as the builder of the city 
Samaria? 



CATECHISM. 55 

Yes ; Omri called the city Samaria from Shemer the 
former owner of the hill. Omri was the father of 
Ahab. Asa was still king of Judah when Ahab be- 
came king of Israel. 

Whom did Ahab marry? 

He married Jezebel, the daughter of the king of 
Sidon. In this marriage the wickedness of Israel 
seemed to culminate. Ahab erected an altar to Baal 
in his city Samaria. This city became from this time 
a rival to Jerusalem, 915 B. C. 

Did not the prophet Elijah live at this time? 

Yes. Elijah was a prophet in Israel, while 
Ahab and Jezebel ruled in its capital, Samaria. 
A famine prevailed at this time. — See the XVI 
chap, of I Kings ^ for the history of the widow of Sarepta^ 
also 1 8//^ Kings for the trial of Baal. The trial of the 
merits of Baal was brought before the multitude. 
Elijah cried out to them, "How long halt ye between 
two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him, but 
if Baal, follow him/'' Meanwhile Elijah had re- 
erected an altar to God that had been thrown down 
by the priests of Baal. When the appointed offering 
was laid on the altar by Elijah, it was accepted by fire. 
The people seeing this cried out: "The Lord, He is 
God, the Lord, He is God." The priests of Baal 
were then put to death and their altars overthrown. — 
18th Chapter of Kings, 

Are there not some incidents in the histories of Elijah and 
Elisha hard to be understood? 

Yes; but dreadful crimes require summary punish- 



56 CATFXHISM. 

ment. Idolatry, cruelty, and licentiousness filled the 
land. A miracle seems to have been necessary to 
restore the faith of the people. The elements of 
nature are in God's hands. 

Are we not told in the 148th Psalm, that fire and haiU 
snow and vapor, and stormy winds fulfill his word? 

Yes. Elijah became at one time so thoroughly dis- 
couraged by the wickedness of Jezebel the queen, and 
the weakness of Ahab her husband, that he fled from 
Samaria. He supposed, until the spirit of God in a 
dream assured him to the contrary, that he was 
the only true worshipper of God in the kingdom of 
Israel. 

How was the prophet informed?— 79 chap, of i Kings, 
It was a most remarkable occasion, ' ' the prophet 
stood on Horeb's *rock', and behold the Lord passed 
by, a strong wind rent the mountains, but the Lord 
was not in the wind, and then an earthquake and a 
fire, and after the fire a still small voice which said: 
'What doest thou here Elijah?' Then Elijah 
expresses his despair; but God said: * I have left me 
seven thousand in Israel who have not bent the 
knee to Baal.'" Ahab afterwards humbled himself 
before God, but Jezebel died in her sins. — Read i 
Kings XXI, 

Does not Elijah's mistake with regard to the extent of 
idolatry prove that the prophetical vision was limited ? 

Undoubtedly. Prophets could only foreknow what 
God revealed to them. If their vision had been per- 
fect they would have been Gods. 



CATECHISM. 57 

How do you define the difference between revelation and 
inspiration? 

A distinction between inspiration and revelation 
has been thus defined : ^* St. John's account of the 
crucifixion of our Lord was inspired, not revealed — 
he wrote what he saw. The Apocalypse was both 
revealed and inspired, because he wrote what he saw 
in a vision. 

Does it not appear that Elijah was translated to Heaven ? 

He was miraculously taken up from the presence 
of Elisha, and from some of the sons of the prophets. 
Elisha saw in vision a chariot of fire and horses of 
fire. These sons of the prophets were young men 
trained in a knowledge of theology. 

Did not these young men beg Elisha to send fifty strong 
men to search for the body of Elijah? 

Yes. Perhaps these young men did not have the 
vision that was vouchsafed to EHsha. It will be remem- 
bered that on one occasion when the servant of 
Elisha accompanied him, that the servant was much 
alarmed when he saw a Syrian host advancing to 
battle. Elisha said to the servant, '^They that be 
with us are more than they who are against us. Lord, 
I pray thee, open the eyes of this young man, that he 
may see;" and he saw the mountain full of horses 
and chariots around about Elijah.— 6/// Chapter 2d 
Kings. 

Did not Elijah work miracles? 

He increased the oil of the poor widow when her 
sons were claimed as bondsmen. The prophet 



^° CATECHISM. 

directed her to sell the oil and pay the debt. He 
restored the son of the woman who kept a room for 
his entenainment—See 2d Xings, J^th Chapter. 



LESSON XI. 

FROM JEROBOAM, THE USURPER, TO HO RHEA. 

Is not the beautiful narrative of Naaman contained in the 
5th chapter of 2d Kings? 

Yes. Naaman, a captain in the army of the King of 
Syria, in some of the wars that his master had waged 
against the Kingdom of the Ten Tribes, had taken 
captive a little maid, and she waited on Naaman's 
wife, a captive Israelite in the Kingdom of Syria. 

Did not this maid seek through her mistress to give in- 
struction to Naaman ? 

Yes. Naaman was a great man with his master, but he 
was a Leper. This litrie girl suggested that' if her 
master would inquire of the Prophet of God, in Sa- 
maria, he would heal him. The captain went down 
m great pomp, first to the king, then to the prophet, 
Ehsha. Naaman is disgusted with the simple remedy 
prescribed. ' 'Are not Arbana and Pharphar, " he cries, 
"rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of 
Israel ?" (How much prejudice in every age has 
arisen in opposition to the simple rite of baptism.) 

How many kings of Israel M'ere there from Jeroboam to 
Hoshea, the last king of Samaria? 

There were, you must remember, four kings of 
united Israel (Saul, David, Solomon, Rehoboam) 



CATECHISM. 5^ 

and nineteen kings of Samaria. The most famous 
kings of Samaria were Ahab and Jehu. The most 
wicked queens were Jezebel and Athaliah, both Sid- 
onians. 

Was not Ahab slain in battle? 

Yes; he entered into a league with Jehosaphat, 
king of Judah, to take Ramoth Gilead from the king 
of Syria. Ahab entered the army in disguise, but 
one drew a bow at a venture and pierced his heart. 

Did not- Jehu exterminate the family of Ahab? 

Jehu was used as an instrument by the Almighty 
to destroy a generation of wicked idolaters. "Jehu 
destroyed the worship of Baal in Israel, but Jehu 
took no heed to walk in the laws of the Lord, his 
God," but as he destroyed the worship of Baal in 
Israel in cutting off the posterity of Ahab, his children 
sat on the throne of Israel until the fourth gener- 
ation. 

Who was Athaliah ? 

She was the wicked daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. 
She married Jehoram, King of Judah. She had one 
son, Ahaziah, to whom she gave the most wicked 
counsel. The reign of her son was short, as he was 
slain by Jehu. When her son was dead AthaHah 
took means to destroy, as she thought, all the "seed 
royal," but the wife of the High Priest, Jehoiada,pre- 
served one of the sons of the king (Joash) and con- 
cealed him six years, until he was old enough to be 
presented to the people as their Ymg,—Read 11th 
Chapter of 2d Kings. 



^^^^ CATECHISM. 



What was the fate of Athaliah ? 

She had meanwhile made herself Queen of Jeru- 
salem, trampling upon the true religion and uphold- 
ing idolatry with a tyrannical power. On the day 
that Jehoida, the priest, presented the young Joash 
m the temple, Athaliah, seeing an assembled crowd 
and ignorant of the cause, hastened thither. When 
she saw the coronation she screamed, ^'Treason! 
Treason !" She was seized by the excited mob and 
slain. 

Has not this story of Athaliah been made the subject of 
a drama ? 

Yes; Racine, a French poet, took this tragic story 
as the plot of a celebrated play, 'AthalieJ 

Was Joash a blessing to his country? 

For a long time he reigned well and wisely, 
especially during the lifetime of Jehoiada. Joash 
repaired the temple of the Lord and called the 
Priests and Levites together to attend to the minis- 
tration of the sanctuary. A chest was placed at the 
entrance of the temple to receive the money of the 
people as they came in, who wished to make offer- 
ings to the treasury of the Lord's house. 

Did not Joash commit a great sin in his later days? 

Yes ; he seemed to forget the great debt of grati- 
tude he owed to his patron, Jehoiada, when he per- 
mitted some of the princes of Judah to stone to death 
Zechariah, the son of his early friend. 

How had Zechariah offended them ? 

He reproached the king and his proud associates 



CATECHISM. Bl 

for their sins. But the judgment of God was exe- 
cuted against Joash, and also against the princes 
'*for the blood of the sons of Jehorida, the Priest. 

Who was the successor of Joash ? 

Amariah. He seems to have been a man of 
ability ; he strengthened the fortresses, and prepared 
a great army to meet his enemies, but he was not 
successful. 

What of Uzziah ? 

He was the grandson of Joash. Uzziah, or 
Uzariah, as he is called in Kings, was a great man, 
he reigned 52 years. He became elated by pros- 
perity and presumed to act as a Priest, burning in- 
cense at the altar. He was punished with leprosy 
and lived in a separate house. The great prophet, 
Isaiah, began to teach in the days of Uzziah, about 
750, B. C. 

Were not the kings of Assyria very troublesome at this 
time both to the kingdoms of Israel and Judah ? 

Yes; Pul, the king of Nineveh, rendered Israel 
tributary and threatened its overthrow by his power; 
but the utter ruin of the kingdom of Samaria, or 
Israel, was delayed until the reign of Hoshea, the 
last king of the kingdom of Israel. 

What king of Assyria took them away and brought to 
naught the kingdom of the Ten Tribes? 

Shalmaneser, the King of Nineveh, which city was 
then the capital of the Assyrian Empire. Shalma- 
neser led away their king, Hoshea, and the bulk of 
the nation to Media, and settled them in its cities. 



62 CATECHISM. 

The days of Nineveh, too, were numbered, for about 
three years after the carrying away of the IsraeHtes 
her pride was humbled by Arbuccs, of Media, and 
Belesis, Governor of Babylon. 

Was not Sennacherib a king of Nineveh? 

Yes ; he was the son of Shalamaneser, and he it 
was who surrounded Jerusalem, with his army in the 
reign of Hezekiah. 

Who was king of Judah when Samaria was taken? 

Ahaz, one of the most unscrupulous of her kings. 
He had made his kingdom tributary to Tiglath Pil- 
eser, the father of Shalmaneser. Judah was saved at 
this time and her national life prolonged, by the 
accession of Hezekiah ; this noble king came 
to the throne of Jerusalem six years after the fall of 
Samaria. 

W^hat is known of the kingdom of Ephriam or Israel after 
they were taken to Media? (Sometimes called Ephraim, 
because it was the most powerful of the Ten.) 

They never appear again in history as an inde- 
pendent nation. It is usually supposed that they 
were absorbed among other nations. We think that 
some of them afterward mingled with their brethren 
of Judah, then they returned after their captivity. It 
is possible that there were a few persons representing 
all the tribes after the rebuilding of the second tem- 
ple. We read in the infancy of our Lord, of Anna, 
who belonged to the tribe of Aser. 

What of the poets and prophets of Judah when their peo- 
ple were so surrounded by enemies from Egypt and Assyria? 



CATECHISM. 



G3 



The voices of the prophets became loud and dis- 
tinct in their presages of evil. 



LESSON XII. 

SENNA CHER IB. 



The prophets, Jonah and Nahum, predict the 
downfall of Nineveh. Isaiah speaks in clear, pro- 
phetic tones of the ruin of Babylon ; but before its 
ruin he speaks plainly of the conquest of Cyrus, the 
end of the Babylonian captivity, and the coming of 
the Messiah. 

Is not the 43d chapter of Isaiah full of proj)hetical inci- 
dents in the Hfe of our Lord? 

In that chapter it is said that *^He was wounded for 
our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities, the 
chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by 
his stripes we are healed. 

Is it not also said that he made intercession for the trans- 
gressors, that he made his grave with the wicked and with 
rich in his death? 

Yes. Two members of the Sanhedrim, one of them 
the rich Joseph, went to Pilate and begged the body of 
Jesus — He was crucified between two thieves, one of 
whom repented and cried, ^^Lord, remember me.'' 

Did not Sennacherib, son of Shalmaneser, surround Jeru- 
salem in the days of Hezekiah ? 

Yes, that king surrounded Jerusalem with his army. 
**The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold, 
but God smote the host with the breath of pesti- 



(U CATECHISM 

lence." Then Hezekiah was very energetic in re- 
forming abuses, he had wrought a thorough reforma- 
tion with the help of a prophet hke Isaiah, both in 
Church and State. 

Where is Hezekiah's eloquent prayer recorded ? 

In the 19th Chapter of 2d Kings, also in the 37th 
Chapter of Isaiah. 

Was not the army of Sennacherib dispersed in one night? 

The destruction of this army, or a large part of it, 
is supposed to have been produced by a simoom, or 
a hot pestilential wind of the desert. Sennacherib 
came from Egypt to Jerusalem. Herodotus relates a 
strange story of the cause of the sudden flight of the 
army of Sennacherib from Egypt. He says a large 
number of field mice gnavved the quivers, bow strings 
and shield straps of the Assyrians. This compelled 
them to raise the siege. 

After this deliverance from enemies, was not Hezekiah 
afflicted with sickness? 

We read of this sickness in the 37th and 38th 
chapters of Isaiah. His life was prolonged fifteen 
years. *' Undertake for me, I am oppressed," was 
one of his petitions. How many children of God, 
since his time, have used these words! 

Did not this king of Judah, before the ten tribes were 
carried away, send to invite the people of Samaria to come 
up to Jerusalem, to keep with him and his people the Pass* 
over feast? 

Messengers were sent to all the tribes with urgent 
requests to unite with them. Ephraim refused, but 
some of the lesser tribes came up to Jerusalem. 



i 



CATECHISM. 65 

Was not the Temple service enlarged in the days of 
Hezekiah? 

Some additional Psalms that had been collected, 
were written down and applied to the Temple service. 
The glorious prophecies of Isaiah and Micah were 
uttered during this reign. Hosea, Amos, and Jonah 
prophesied before this time. 

Is not the story of Jonah wonderful? 

Yes, his history contains a remarkable miracle, but 
whether symbolic or real, we must as Christians accept 
it as ^^Holy Writ,'' as our Lord quotes it in Matthew 
12 : 40, as a type of His resurrection. The story of 
Jonah, except the miracle, is very naturally told. 
He knows that his duty is to go to Nineveh, yet he 
embarks at Joppa to go to Tarshish. He tells the 
shipmaster that ''he is a Hebrew, and that he fears 
the God of Heaven who hath made the sea and the 
dryland." 

In speaking of the enlargement of the Temple service, 
during the reign of Hezekiah, you mention additional Psalms, 
did David write all the Psalms? 

No. He is called the Psalmist of Israel, because 
he founded the Psalter. He wrote a large number 
and many of them the most beautiful. Solomon 
probably wrote some. Moses wrote the 90th Psalm, 
which has been a funeral dirge for civilized nations 
from that time to the present. 

Was not music and poetry cultivated by the Hebrews from 
very early times? 

Yes. See in the ist Samuel, loth chap., 7th v., 
a company of scholars are represented as using 



66 CATECHISM. 

Psalter, Tabret and Harp. In the days of king 
David, music and poetry were carried to the greatest 
height. 

Was not the 24th Psalm composed when the ark of the 
covenant was brought to Mt. Zion ? 

Yes. To the Jew and to the Christian, these songs 
of Zion have been refreshing fountains all down the 
ages, reflecting in their clear waters the high and holy 
attributes of Jehovah. 

Are there not some deprecatory Psalms? 

Yes, it must be acknowledged that in these wells of 
salvation there are some bitter waters. The 41st, 
5Sth, 69th and 109th contain imprecations. Some 
interpreters believe the future tense ought to be used 
instead of the imperative mood. 

Is not the 109th Psalm painful to read in our public service, 
as it seems so opposed to the divine law of love? 

Yes, as it is rendered. Some persons connect 
this psalm with the treason of Ahithophel against 
David. — 2d Samuel I ^, 31. The expressions do ap- 
pear to be a burst of indignant denunciation, against 
some wicked, dastardly offender. The grandeur of 
the psalms, (excepting the imprecations,) is beyond 
all praise. 

Who was the successor of Hezekiah ? 

Manasseh, an unfortunate, wicked king. He was 
taken to Babylon by an Assyrian captain. Upon his 
promise to pay tribute, and declaring repentance for 
his evil deeds, he was restored to his capital. 

By whom was Nineveh destroyed? 



CATECHISM. 67 

By Nabopolassar, governor of Babylon, and 
Cyaxares, governor of Media, 612 B. C. Babylon 
then became the great capital of that region until it 
was conquered by Cyrus, who (in connecction with 
jCyaxares, his uncle, called Darius in the Bible,) 
made it (Babylon) the capital of the Medo-Persian 
Empire, 560 B. C. 

Did not the ruin of Jerusalem draw near? 

Yes. The immediate successor of Manasseh was 
murdered, but the accession of the good Joriah de- 
layed for a time the impending ruin of Jerusalem. 



LESSON XIIL 

Josiah, the grandson of Hezekiah, was a wise and 
pious prince. He did more to extirpate idolatry 
than any who came before him. 

Was there not found in the temple at this time an original 
copy of the Law of Moses ? 

Stanley seems to think that the roll then found 
was the book of Deuteronomy. It seems to have 
been cast aside and forgotten. When Hilkiah, the 
Priest, read it in the presence of the king and to all the 
people, Josiah was struck with terror at the awful 
threatening denounced upon his people and country. 
The king caused many copies to be made of the 
Book of the Law. 

Was not Josiah animated with the hope of reuniting Pal- 
estine ? 

Yes; he had recently, with the assistance of the 
King of Assyria, extended sovereignty over Samaria, 



68- CATECHISM. 

and he discovered that, although the bulk of the na- 
tion had been carried away by Shalmanesea, yet, not- 
withstanding the heathen colonists sent up by 
Esarhaddon, the predominant population of that 
land were descendants of the Ten Tribes 

Did not the service rendered to Josiah by Assyria cost 
Josiah his life? 

Yes ; when Josiah heard that Pharaoh Necho was 
demanding a passage through his country to attack 
Carchemish, a frontier city on the Euphrates, he 
buckled on his armor and met Necho in battle. To 
the great grief of his people he was slain at Megiddo, 
6ii, B. C. 

How many Kings of Jerusalem after Josiah ? 

Those that reigned after Josiah were mere shad 
ows of royalty. Necho conquered Carchemish and 
then placed upon the throne Jehoahaz, the son of the 
lamented Josiah, but he was dethroned in a few 
months, and Jehoiakim succeeded. Then Jehoia- 
chin was put upon the throne. 

Did not the great prophet, Jeremiah, prophesy in the 
reigns of the last Kings of Judah? 

Yes ; meanwhile the greatest of the Kings of 
Assyria, Nebuchadnezzar, appeared at the gates of 
Jerusalem. He took Jehoiachin from the throne and 
sent him with his family, much treasure and money 
of the nobility, to Babylon, placing Zedekiah, a son 
of Josiah, upon the shattered throne of Jerusalem. 
He reigned eleven years. 

Did not the prophet, Jeremiah, counsel submission to the 
Kings of Babylon ? 



CATECHISM. 69 

After making much effort for reform he counseled 
them to pay tribute and submit to their fate, but the 
last three Kings of Judah were deaf to his prayers 
and remonstrances. 

Was not Zedekiah repeatedly warned of the madness of 
his course ? 

Yes. He treated with contempt all the messages he 
received from the prophet ; the women of Israel, too, 
despised his reproofs and continued to burn incense 
to an idol whom they called the Queen of Heaven. 
Meanwhile Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnez- 
zar, who had put him on the throne. 

Did not this King of Babylon besiege the city in the 
ninth year of Zedekiah ? 

Yes; he continued the siege until the eleventh 
year, a famine became sore, Jerusalem was broken 
up. 

CAPTIVITY OF JUDAH, 
Did not Zedekiah flee with his men of war? 
Yes, the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook them. 
The sons of the king were slain before his eyes. The 
eyes of Zedekiah were put out, so that the prophesy 
of Ezekiel was literally fulfilled — ^^He will not see 
Babylon, but he will die there.'' 

By whom was the Temple of Solomon destroyed ? 

By Nebuzaradan, chief general of the King of 
Babylon. He burned the house of the Lord, the 
palace of the king, and all the houses of the great 
men in Jeiusalem. He carried down many captives, 



70 CATECHISM. 

he left cluefly the laboring poor in the land to be 
husbandmen and winedressers. Thus was Judah 
carried into captivity. 

Had not the Kings of Judah received many warnings of 
the desolation that awaited them? 

When the weak and wicked Jehoiakim was king 
it was revealed to Jeremiah that he should take a roll 
and write upon it all the words that the spirit of God 
had dictated to him from the time of Josiah until 
now. As Jeremiah was shut up in prison he sent for 
Baruch and gave to him the roll containing the mes- 
sage. 

What did Baruch then do ? 

He went to the house of the Lord and read the 
roll in the ears of the assembled people. It was a 
day of fasting. Some of the princes then sent for 
Baruch and said, ^'Tell us, how didst thou receive 
this roll?" And Baruch said, ^*The prophet pro. 
nounced these words to me and I wrote them with 
ink in a book," 

Did Jehoiakim then see the roll? 

Yes; Jehoiada one of their wise men, took the roll 
to the king, and when he, Jehoiakim, had read three 
or four leaves of it, {see T^&th chapter of Jeremiah,) he 
took his penknife and cut the leaves from the roll, 
and put them into the fire that burned upon the heath 
before him. Some of his attendants interceded to 
save it, but in vain. 

Was not a second roll sent to him? 

Yes ; but he gave no heed, many words were added 
to this second message. 



CATECHISM. 71 

Why did Zedekiah rebel, when the king of Babylon had 
treated him so generously? 

Because he relied on the intervention of the king 
of Egypt. Pharaoh Hoprah, actually came up against 
Nebuchadnezzar, but he had a grievous defeat. 
Zedekiah remembered too late the earnest entreaties 
of Jeremiah to submit to Assyria, also his prophecies 
against Pharaoh Hoprah, king of Egypt. 

What was the fate of Jeremiah when the city was taken? 

The prophet had been thrust into prison by some 
of the nobles; through the good offices of Ebed- 
melech, an Ethiopian, who interceded with the king 
in behalf of Jeremiah, he was taken out of the noi- 
some prison, and set at liberty. We have already 
spoken of Jeremiah's exhortations to Zedekiah to 
submit to the king of Babylon and their entire failure. 
He sent word to the captives, that the time of their 
captivity in Babylon would be long, — even seventy 
years. 

Did not the prophet Jeremiah, go down to Babylon? 
No; Zebuzaradan treated Jeremiah with courtesy, 
he was permitted to act as he pleased. 



LESSON XIV. 

Zebuzaradan, the general of Nebuchadnezzar, had 
appointed a governor Gedaliah, for the protection of 
the people. 

Was not Gedaliah murdered ? 

Yes ; some of the people in their madness put this 



72 CATECHISM. 

man to death, who would have been a friend to them. 
The wretched murderers then fled to Egypt and com- 
pelled the prophet Jeremiah to go with them. He 
died in Egypt, but lived long enough to see his darkest 
predictions fulfilled. 

Does he not portray in the book called the " Lamentations," 
with deep and tragic pathos, the truth of history? 

'* How doth the city sit solitary that was full of peo- 
ple ! She that was great among the nations, and 
princess among the provinces, how is she become 
tributary ! '' Ezekiel and Daniel had been taken 
down, when quite young, to Babylon with Jehoiakim 
or perhaps earlier, but Jeremiah was left to see the 
ruin of his city, and to bewail in elegiac strains, the 
desolation he could not avert or stay. 

How many different transportations were there of captives 
from Judah ? 

There were four; the first under Jehoiakim when 
Daniel and his companions were among the captives, 
A. M. 3398, the second in the seventh year of 
Jehoiakim, the third in the reign of Jehoiachin, the 
fourth, or seventy years of captivity, was under 
Zedekiah. 

Was not Daniel (see Daniel) an important officer in 
Babylon ? 

He was prime minister to more than one eastern 
monarch. Daniel with three noble youths, were 
subjected (in their youth,) to terrible persecution, for 
refusing to bow down to the image of Nebuchadnez- 
zar, erected in the plains of Dura. The heroism and 
constancy of Daniel, to his faith and duty, were 



CATECHISM. 73 

probably the cause of his promotion, even by a 
heathen king. 

How did Jeremiah show his faith in the return of his 
people, after their long capivity ? 

He purchased a field of his nephew near his native 
Anathoth, and gave the title deeds to Baruch for 
preservation. 

Was not Belshazzar the last of the Babylonian kings? 

Belshazzar was slain on the night that Cyrus, king 
of Persia, entered the city with his hosts. Cyrus 
reigned over Babylon in conjunction with Cyaxares 
the Mede, he is called Darius the Mede in the Bible. 
Before the entrance of the Persians, Daniel had 
interpreted '^the handwriting on the wall,'' to mean 
that the Chaldean city would be given to the Medes 
and Persians. 

What did Cyrus do for \\i^ strange people whom he found 
in the midst of Babylon? 

Cyrus published an edict {Ezra 6th chap, T^d verse,) 
permitting the Jews to return to their own land, and 
furnished them with facilities for their journey, and 
authority to rebuild their temple. 

Who was their leader in the first expedition to Jerusalem ? 

Zerubbabel. — i Chron. 3, 19. Under his guidance 
a prince of the house of David, 42,000,300 men 
went up to their sacred city. Many servants' and 
maids, and singing men and singing women ac- 
companied them. A large number of the Jews still 
remained in Babylonia. There was a large settlement 
of the children of Judah on the river Chebar, not far 



74 CATECHISM. 

from Babylon. Four of the twenty-four courses of 
priests went up to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel. 

Is it not supposed that the decree that Cyrus issued, was 
through the influence of Daniel, the prime minister of 
Darius, the uncle of Cyrus? 

This is very probable. It had been prophesied by 
Isaiah a long time previous. The framing of the 
edict is attributed to Daniel, in which he declares the 
unity of God. The national spirit doubtless was still 
warm in the heart of Daniel. 

Does not Isaiah's declaration, {sec Isaiah) " I form the light 
and create darkness," seem to refer to the Persian creed ? 

Though the Persians were regarded as Monotheists 
they regarded light the symbol of God, rather as a 
creator than a creation. In later times the Mono- 
theism of the Persians degenerated into Dualism. 

Was not Zerrubbabel clothed with kingly power? 

The learned say that he was made Sheshbazzar or 
Pasha. On their arrival in their native land, many 
of the common people joined them. It is probable 
that some of the representatives of the ten tribes 
mingled with them. 

Was not the second Temple soon begun? 

The first object of the returned captives was to 
restore the worship of God, they set-up an altar and 
laid the stones of the foundation the second day of 
the second year. 

Did not their neighbors, the Samaritans, interfere with the 
building of the Temple and city? 

Yes; they first proposed to the Jews to let them 



CATECHISM. iiy 

take part in the building as they wished to worship 
there also. The Jews indignantly refused their 
participation, telling them they were not of Israel but 
were Cutheans. 

Who were the Samaritans? 

They were a mixed race, partly descended from the 
Cuthean colonists sent up by Esarhaddon, (£zra4, 2d.) 
and partly from the original ten tribes or Israelites. 
Pciests of Israel had been sent up among them to teach 
them the religion of the country.— 5^^ 2d Kings 17. It 
is probable therefore, that the Samaritans really did re- 
tain some love and knowledge of their old religion, 
though nearly two centuries had elapsed since the 
conquest of Shalmaneser. 

What revenge did the Samaritans take on the Jews, for 
their refusal to permit them to unite in their worship? 

Some active Samaritans sent a deputation to 
Cambyses, son of Cyrus, asking him to issue an order 
to the Jews to desist in building their city and temple, 
stating that the ''bad, rebelhous city" ought not 
to be rebuilt. 

Did Cambyses listen to the suggestions of the Samaritans? 

The work was seriously retarded from some cause; 
on the accession of Darius Hystuspes, the work was 
renewed and brought to a successful termination. 
In the sixth year of the reign of Darius, the second 
temple built on the old foundations was completed. 

How did it compare with the first Temple built by 
Solomon ? 

The old men wept when they thought of the 



76 CATECHISM. 

superior magnificence of the first House, but the 
young men rejoiced. However, all the children of 
the captivity kept the dedication with joy. 



LESSON XV. 



What Psalms were sung at the dedication of the second 
temple ? 

It is thought that the last five Psalms were written 
for that occasion. Though the riches of the people 
were at this time much lessened, they possessed 
treasures of poetry. Haggai and Zechariah were 
with them. They prophesied in poetic numbers. 
Haggai declared that the glory of the latter house 
would be greater than the glory of the former house. 
This was fulfilled when the Lord Jesus entered the 
temple. 

Did not the Jews incur a great danger in the reign of a 
Persian king, called in the Bible, Ahasuerus, (Xerxes)? 

Yes. Large numbers of Jews still lived in Babylon, 
and in one of its capitals, Susa. In the book of Esther 
we are told that a minister named Haman had ob- 
tained a decree that the Jews should be massacred 
on a certain day. The hatred of Haman to the Jews 
had been engendered by jealousy of a certain Jew of 
prominence named Mordecai, he sat at the king's 
gate, but he refused to bow to Haman. 

How was this massacre prevented ? 

Mordecai, the Jew, was the uncle of Queen 
Esther (though Ahasuerus was not aware that his 
Queen was of the Jewish race). So soon as Morde- 



CATECHISM. 77 

cai heard of the decree he sent for Esther, and he 
told her that she must save her people. 

What was her reply ? 

She told him of the difficulties in her way, but said 
to him, * 'I. will fast and pray with my maidens, I will 
then go in to the king, which is not according to the 
law, but if I perish, I perish." With this noble re- 
solve she presented her petition. Mordecai tells 
Esther that God is not straitened for means, if she 
declines to help her people that deliverence will come 
from some other source. Esther succeeded entirely 
with her suit. It was recollected, too, by the king 
that Mordecai, the Jew, had saved the king's life by 
exposing a conspiracy. 

Could the laws of the Medes and Persians be changed or 
repealed ? 

No ; but the Jews were saved by apprising them 
through all the country of their danger, and they put 
themselves in a state of defense, and so were saved. 

AVas the reign of Artaxerxes favorable to the Jews ? 

Yes; in his reign another migration takes place. 
Ezra, a man of priestly descent, led this migration, 
{See Ezra, 7th Chapter^ 6th verse,^ In the seventh 
year of Artaxerxes, Ezra set out from Suriana and 
was joined by a reinforcement of 38 Levites from a 
Jewish settlement in that neighborhood, with full 
power from kingly authority to collect treasure for 
the adornment and completion of the temple. 

Did not many of the Priests of the higher order and some 
of a lower, together with Nethinims accompany Ezra? 



'i O CATECHISM. 

Yes; many priests went with him. The Nethi- 
nims were a remnant of the Gibeonites. They had 
been carried into captivity with Judah. 

Did not Ezra find on his return to Jerusalem that some of 
his countrymen had constructed unla\vful marriages? 

Yes. Ezra used his authority in annulling these mar- 
riages. He sent the wives back to their former 
homes so soon as suitable provision could be made. 
''Thus was an iron line of separation drawn'' that 
separated the Jews from the rest of the world. 

Was not Jerusalem unfortified and defenseless for a time 
after the temple was built? 

Until the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the holy 
city was oj^en and defenseless. At this time the Per- 
sians determined to make Jerusalem a military post. 
This important matter was entrusted to Nehemiah, 
a cup-bearer of Artaxerxes, and he proved afterward 
to be an officer of much ability. 

How is Nehemiah's embassy mentioned in the Bible ? 

In the 2d chapter of the book of Nehemiah an 
interesting conversation ensues between the cup- 
bearer and the king, in which he requests the king to 
send him to Judah that he may build the wall and 
the gates of Jerusalem, ''the place of my fathers' 
sepulchres lieth waste." During his interview with 
the king he was lifting up his heart to the God of 
Heaven in prayer. His prayer was heard, the king 
granted all his desire. For political reasons, histo- 
rians say, that it became important for Persia to 
make Jerusalem a strong frontier town. 



CATECHISM. 79 

Did not Nehemiah encounter many difficulties in his work? 

Yes ; their enemies, led by Sanballat and Tobias, 
tried to hinder their work. Nehemiah and his men 
worked with the sword girt to their sides, while a 
part of the garrison worked, the others were prepared 
to fight. With armed men beside them, '^they worked 
from the dawn until the stars appeared/' 

Did not their diligence and bravery succeed? 

In fifty-two days the city was girt with strong walls 
and towers. Nehemiah required the rich to take a 
solemn oath that they would not exact usury or inter- 
est from their poorer brethren. The Persian tribute 
during their wars with the Greeks had pressed heavily 
on the poorer Jews and had induced them to borrow 
from their richer brethren Nehemiah shook his lap 
with this imprecation : "So God shake all from his 
house, who perform not this promise.'' All the con- 
gregation praised the Lord and said, '^Amen !" 

Have not some modern vi^riters tried to make it appear 
that Ezra was not only a collector of the sacred books, but 
an originator ? 

Yes; some have adopted the absurd theory that 
Ezra had borrowed monotheistic views from the Per- 
sians. These absurd theorists, say that Ezra wrote 
the first chapters of Genesis, and not Moses. 

Has not this theory been shattered by the deciphering of 
the cuneiform letters on the old stones of Chaldea?, 

Yes ; the Chaldaic narrative, says Le Normant, 
has more affinity with the Bible narrative than any 
other. 

What was the work of Ezra ? 



80 CATECHISM 

He was employed in the momentous task of col- 
lecting and arranging the sacred books of the Old 
Testament. 

What was the arrangement of Ezra? 

He arranged them in three great divisions. The 
law contained in the Pentateuch, the historical books 
and the prophetical books — the Psalms, Proverbs, 
Ecclesiastes, Job and Daniel. There are sixteen 
books of the prophets in the Old Testament — four 
prophets the greater and twelve prophets the less. 

When were the boolss of Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther and 
Malachi added? 

It is thought that they were added at a later time 
by Simon, the Just. These closed the sacred canon. 

Was not Ezra a preacher in the modern sense? 

We are told in Nehemiah that Ezra stood upon a 
pulpit of wood, he opened the book before all the 
people. He and the Levites caused the people to 
understand the law ; they gave the sense. Some of the 
children of the captivity had probably forgotten the 
Hebrew language. A part of the book of Ezra is 
written in Chaldee. 



LESSON XVI. 

The Jews after their long residence in Babylonia, 
spoke the Syro-Chaldaic or Aramaic tongue. Hebrew 
was still the language of the books, but Greek soon 
became the language of commerce, of the Jewish 
people, and of literature, after the conquest of 
Alexander. 



CATFXHISM. 81 

Was not the New Testament written in Greek? 

Certainly. But this was more than three centuries 
after the Greek conquest of Palestine. A version of 
the Ne\\ Testament in Svriac, was extant in the 
apostolic age. 

When did Nehemiah die? 

About 415 B, C. History has little to say of 
Palestine from this period until the time of Alexander 
the Great. The people of Jerusalem seem to have 
dwelt in seclusion and peace for more than a century. 

The Scriptures that Ezra had collected were put 
under the care of scribes, who were scrupulously 
anxious to preserve every text, and point, and mark. 

Did not Alexander invade Jerusalem? 
He certainly offered no violence to the city. An 
interesting story is connected with an interview said 
to have been held at the entrance of the holy city, be- 
tween the High Priest and Alexander. The Priest 
is clad in his beautiful robes, followed by Priests and 
Levites. Alexander is filled with awe at the majestic 
appearance of the High Priest. He turns to him in 
an adoring posture. The othcets of the monarch are 
full of wonder. He tells them that this vision ap- 
peared to him in Macedon. It is also stated that 
Alexander went into the Temple and read the pro- 
phecies of Daniel, which were pointed out. He re- 
leased the Jews from tribute during the sabbatical 
year. 

Did not the Alexandrian Jews have the Hebrew Bible, 
translated into the Greek language? 



82 CATECHISSf. 

Under the patronage of Ptolemy Philadelphus, one 
of the successors of Alexander, on the throne of 
Egypt, Ptolemy Philadelphus had the Hebrew 
Scriptures translated into Greek. The Jews say this 
version was made by 72 elders, about 285 B. C. It 
is called the Septuagint from the tradition of the "jo 
elders. 

Were not Palestine and Syria governed by the kings of 
Egypt after the death of Alexander? 

A partition of his dominions was made after the 
battle of Ipsus, Syria was for a time governed by 
the Ptolemies, but in 197 B. C, the descendants of 
Seleucus called the Seleucidse, got possession of the 
land of the Jews, these were Syrian-Greek kings. 
Some of these kings were great tyrants. 

Did not the Greeks, both of Egypt and Syria, try to 
Hellenize their subjects? 

They endeavored to make the Jews adopt Grecian 
customs and manners. One of the degraded kings of 
Syria tried to make the Jews assume a Greek badge, 
the ivy leaf, sacred to Bacchus. It was to be marked 
on their fleshy probably as a satire upon their cove- 
nant rite circumcision. Few of the Jews accepted it, 
though threatened with death or slavery. 

Was it not providential that the Greeks threaten the Jew& 
in this manner? 

The contumely with which they were treated made 
them to cling more closely, to the religion of their 
fathers. 

What were the prophecies of Daniel, to which you alluded., 



CATECHISM. 83 

when you said the High Priest showed them to the Mace- 
donian conqueror? 

In the 7th chapter of Daniel, (the first 12 chapters 
of Daniel are written in Hebrew,) we are told that 
Daniel, in a vision, saw four beasts rise out of the sea. 
The first was like a lion and had eagle's wings, these 
wings were plucked. This beast represented the 
Assyrian empire. The second beast, the Medo- 
Persian empire, was like a bear with three ribs in its 
mouth. The third beast was like a leopard with four 
wings, it had also four heads. The fourth beast was 
strong exceedingly, with iron teeth and diverse from 
all the others. 

Were not these four beasts that Daniel saw, supposed to 
represent the four great empires of the earth? 

Yes ; but in the 8th chapter the prophecies become 
more explicit. The ram with two horns is explained 
to Daniel, as the king of Media and Persia. Then 
the he-goat is described as the king of Grecia, when 
the great horn is broken four notable ones take its 
place. 

Were not the Jews the subjects of these empires at differ- 
ent times? 

Yes; we have seen them in Babylon seventy years, 
more as colonists than captives, afterwards the 
tributary but protected subjects of the Medo-Persian 
empire, then the oppressed subjects of the successors 
of Alexander. In the XI chapter of Daniel, it is 
supposed that the persecutions of Antiochus Epipha- 
nes are prophesied. 



84 CATECHISM. 

How did deliverance come from the terrible tyrannies of 
the Syro-Greek kings? 

Not by miraculous assistance (says a learned 
historian of the Jews,) did Divine Providence inter- 
pose, but by the instrumentality of human vi?'tueSj 
by the lofty patriotism, the daring soldiership, the 
self-devotion of heroic men in the cause of their 
country and their God. The family of the Maccabees^ 
(in the Apocryphia, which is bound up with the canon- 
ical Scriptures in many Bibles, contains two books 
called Maccabees,) Mattathias, the father, and his 
five sons rescued their country from the tyranny of 
the Syrian-Greeks, and at infinite cost to themselves^ 
for really all of them perished in battle or by violence. 

Was not Judea through their valor, an independent country 
for almost a century ? 

Yes. An eloquent historian has said of Judas Mac- 
cabeus, the eldest son of Mattathias, who first unfolded 
the banner of the Maccabees, that " among the lofty 
spirits who have asserted the liberty of their native 
land against cruel oppression, none have surpassed 
the most able of the Maccabees, in accomplishing a 
great end with inadequate means." 

Had not the father of the Maccabees received many 
tempting offers to yield to the royal will? 

Yes; but the old man publicly proclaimed his 
resolution to live and die in the faith of his fathers. 

What was the meaning of the word " Maccabees''? 
It is derived some say from the concluding letters 
of a sentence in the nth verse of the 15th chapter 



CATECHISM. 85 

of Exodus, * ' Who is like unto thee among the Gods, 
Oh Jehovah ! '' But the letters on his banner, from 
whatever source taken, were but a faint transcript of 
the faith in his soul. His personal faith kindled much 
enthusiasm in his followers. 

Did not brother after brother take up the cause of reHgion 
and freedom ? 

Nearly all the prominent members of the Macca- 
bean family perished on the battle field, often in the 
arms of victory. At length the Romans, the fourth 
power spoken of by Daniel, became the conquerors 
of the East. Judea again became the prize and victim 
of the strife between East and West — between Rome 
and Parthia. 



LESSON XVII. 

Who was Antigonus ? 

Antigonus, the last of the Asmonean family, 
made a desperate though ineffectual effort to pos- 
sess the throne of his fathers. He had the prom- 
ise of Parthian protection, but Rome interposed. 
Augustus and Anthony united in conferring the 
crown of Judea on Herod 

Did not Herod have to fight some terrible batties before 
he succeeded ? 

Yes ; Jerusalem made a fierce and bitter struggle 
for half a year before Herod became her victor, and 
suffered much before she yielded the superior claims 
of Antigonus. 

Was not Herod a great soldier? 



86 CATECHISM. 

Yes; he seems to have challenged the admira- 
tion both of Caesar and Anthony by his military skill, 
yet in Judea his conduct was marked by much 
atrocity. 

Did he not put to death the Sanhedrim, or seventy elders? 

He put to death all except the t7iw who advised capit- 
ulation when he besieged Jerusalem. He had a 
domestic enemy in his own sister, who poisoned his 
mind with su'^picions against those of his own house- 
hold. 

Did he not marry Mariamne, an Asmonean princess, in 
order to strengthen his claims with the Jewish people ? 

Yes ; Mariamne was a descedant of the kingly line 
of the Maccabees. She was greatly beloved by her 
people and was very beautiful. Herod was passion- 
ately devoted to her. 

Did he not put her to death? 

Through unfounded jealousy and suspicion he put 
her to death, but this act maddened him into misery 
and ferocity. The sons of Mariamne were charged 
with conspiracy and then executed. One of his last 
acts, when his own life was ebbing, was to put to 
death his son, Antipater. 

Did not Herod affect much zeal for the Jewish religion ? 
In order to lesson the horror of the Jews for his 
crimes he tried to dazzle them with magnificence. 
The temple they so much loved, the structure of 
Zerubbabel, now needed repair. Herod determined 
to strengthen and beautify it. He added to it glit- 



CATECHISM, 87 

tering masses of white marble, and pinnacles of gold 
to crown the heights of Mount Moriah. 

Was not this ferocious man a lover of the beautiful in art? 

Yes ; not only did he make the temple beautiful, 
but he built cities, and a palace fortress for himself. 
He called it Antonia. 

How long did Herod begin to repair and embellish the 
temple before the birth of Christ? 

He began the work seventeen years before the 
birth of our Lord. It was entirely completed in 
forty-six years. ^^See what stones and what build- 
ings are here,'' said the disciples to our Lord on one 
occasion ; they looked upon this building with pride. 

How long had the second temple been standing when 
Herod began the repairs? 

It had been built nearly 500 years. The temple 
of Solomon stood all together 424 years. Haggai, 
the prophet, said, "The glory of the latter house 
shall be greater than the glory of the former house," 
meaning that the presence of our Lord should hallow 
the second temple. 

How many sons did Herod the Great leave ? 

Herod Antipas and Archelaus were the sons of 
one mother. Herod Philip of another. One of the 
sons of Mariamne left two children, Herod Agrippa 
and Herodias, so famous for her wicked revenge. 
We see from this base woman's history that the sins 
of the 6th and 7 th commandments are nearly allied. 

Who succeeded Herod on the throne of Judea? 

Archelaus for a short time. 



88 CATECHISM. 

LESSON XVIII. 

THE NEW TESTAMENT. 

THE BIRTH OF CHRIST. 

In what year of Herod's reign was our Savior born? 

Jesus was born in the 37th year of Herod, king of 
Judea, and in the 30th year of the reign of Augustus 
Caesar, emperor of Rome. 

Was John the Baptist older than Jesus Christ? 

John, the son of Zachariah the Priest and of Ehzabeth , 
was six months older than the son of Mary. — See the 
beautiful woi'ds of Mary^ Luke i, 46, : " My soul doth 
magnify the Lord; " this chant is called the ''Magnifi- 
cat". — The birth of John had also been foretold to 
Zachariah in the Temple by an angel. 

Is there not a prophecy in Malachi of John the Baptist? 

Yes; he is called a messenger of the Covenant, 
**he shall sit as a refiner's fire and as fuller's soap.'' 
At the circumcision of John, Zachariah uttered a song 
of praise, taken from the 68th Psalm. — See Luke i, 
verses 68, 80. 

What prophet had specially prophesied of the birth-place 
of Christ? 

The Prophet Micah foretells the birth-place and 
office of Christ. ''Thou Bethlehem Ephratah, 
though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, 
yet out of thee shall He come forth, whose goings 
forth have been from of old, from everlasting." 

Was not his birth mean and lowly ? 

He was born in a manger or cave, but His birth 



CATECHISM. 89 

was heralded by angels in a glorious song : ' ' Glory to 
God in the Highest^ on earth peace, good will to 
men." 

What d es St. Matthew say of the visit of the Magi, or 
wise men? 

The Evangelist says: ''When they were come 
'into the House' they saw the young ' Child, with 
Mary, His mother, and they fell down and worshipped 
Him, presenting Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh." 

How many incidents of our Lord's infancy are recorded in 
the Gospels? 

There are four events mentioned of His infancy: 
The Circumcision on the eighth day ; the Presentation 
in the Temple, of the mother and Babe for purifica- 
tion, (^Luke 2, 2 2^,) on the fortieth day; the visit of 
the Magi, and the Flight into Egypt. 

Was not the Holy Child recognized by two persons as the 
Messiah, in the Temple at this time ? 

Yes, by Simeon and Anna, of the tribe of Asher. 
Anna took the Child in her arms and gave thanks, 
and spake of Him to all who looked for redemption 
in Israel. Simeon uttered the song, called by the 
Church ^''Nunc Domittis^'' for eighteen hundred years. 
^* Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, 
according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy 
salvation.'' 

Did not the Holy Family go into Egypt at this time? 

Yes, immediately after the departure of the Wise 
Men. The manifestation of our Lord to the Wise 
Men, is called the Epiphany. This festival is on the 
6th of January. 



90 CATECHISM. 

Did not Joseph return to the land of Israel, at the death 
of Herod? 

Yes; but when he heard that Archelaus was reign- 
ing in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to 
go thither, but turned aside into Galilee. 

Did not our Lord live in Nazareth from this time? 

Yes, He is once spoken of as going with His 
parents to Jerusalem, when He was twelve years old, 
to keep the Passover. — Luke 2, 42^ to 52^ vefses. 
At this early age He sat with the Doctors in the 
Temple, both hearing them and asking them questions. 
All that heard Him were astonished at His under- 
standing and answers. 

What of Archelaus ? 

He, Archelaus, was deposed and banished in 
A.D. 12. His brothers did not obtain his dominion. 
It was united with Syria, and put under a Roman 
Procuration. Herod Antipas was made Tetrarch of 
Galilee, and Pontius Pilate governor of Judea. 

Did not John Baptist begin his ministry by preaching, a 
short time before our Lord Jesus Christ? 

John began to preach in the wilderness of Judea a 
short time before the ministry of Christ. John pro- 
claimed himself the messenger who should come to 
prepare the way for the Messiah. 

What was his message ? 

' 'Repent ye, for the kingdom of Heaven is at 
hand. Bring forth fruits meet for repentance. I am 
the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Prepare ye 
the w^ay of the Lord, make his paths straight?' " 



CATECHISM. 91 

V hat does John mean, by the kingdom of heaven? 
He means that the Church of Jesus Christ was about 
to be estabhshed; a new covenant was now offered, in- 
stead of circumcision, the sign of the old covenant, 
baptism would become the seal or sign. 

Was Baptism a new rite? 

Baptism had probably been practised among the 
Jews on some occasions, a priest before he entered 
upon his ministry was bathed with pure water, but 
baptism becomes, from the time of John, a distinct- 
ive rite. 

Did not many Pharisees and Sadducees, the leading Jewish 
Sects, come to his baptism ? — Read Matthew jd. 

Yes; many of them came to his baptism. His 
holy life and bold preaching attracted great crowds 
to the fords of Jordan, and to all he was uncom- 
promising in his requiixfnents and doctrine, but 
\fYv^n Jesus came he said, ^'1 have need to be bap- 
tized of thee, and comest thou to me ?" 

Does not John declare that he did not know Christ when 
He first came? 

Yes; But there was something evidently '^in the 
presence and aspect of Christ that awed and captivated 
the soul of John.'' — Farrar. As Christ came upon 
the water the spirit like a dove descended upon Him, 
and a voice from Heaven saying, ^^Thou art my be- 
loved son in whom I am well pleased." 

Is not this scene at the baptism, understood as a representa- 
tion of the Trinity? 

Yes ; There was a manifestation of three witnesses, 



92 CATECHISM. 

the voice of the Father, the visible descent of the 
Holy Spirit, and the presence of our Lord. The 
word Trinity is not mentioned in the New Testament, 
but it was at an early period adopted by the church 
to denote the mysterious ''Three in one." 

Did our Lord administer baptism? 

No ; Christ baptized not, but his disciples. John, 
the Baptist, constantly pointed to Christ as the Mes 
siah. 

What is the record of John the Baptist when the Jews 
sent priests and Levites to him to ask him, "Who art 
Thou?" 

''And John said, I am not the Christ. He it is 
who coming after me is preferred before me." The 
next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and he 
said, "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the 
sins of the world." 

Why were such questions asked by the Priests and Levites 
of John ? 

Because there was a general expectation among 
the Jews that the Messiah was about to appear. 

What did John mean by the Lamb of God ? 

The Jews understood that the lamb slain at their 
Passover was a sacrifice for sin, and that it was a 
type of one who should come to die for the sins of 
the world. 

Had not Daniel foretold that when Messiah should come 
he would be cut off, but not for himself? 

Yes; and Isaiah's prophecies were of the same 



CATECHISM. fl'S 

import. These things the /ems, to whom John the 
Baptist spoke, fully understood. 

Was not this good man, John, sacrificed to the guilty re- 
venge of a wicked woman ? 

Yes. The 6th chapter of St. Mark contains this 
terrible history from the 21st to the 29th verses. This 
history of Herodias, the guilty partner of Herod 
Antipas, shows how closely are connected the sins of 
the 6th and 7th commandments of the Moral Law. 

Did not the leading Jews of that nation believe that when 
the Messiah came, he would be a temporal king to deliver 
them from the power of the Romans ? 

Yes, notwithstanding the many prophecies, with 
regard to our Lord that seem so clear and spiritual to 
us (after their fulfillment), the Jewish mind, with few 
exceptions, misunderstood His mission they refused 
to believe in His miracles, and were filled with rage 
when He declared that "His kingdom was not of 
this world.'' Two of the Sanhedrim (the great 
council of seventy), Joseph and Nicodemus, were at- 
tracted by His teaching and miracles. 

Were not the believers in Christ greatly increased, after 
that Lazarus was raised from the dead? 

Yes, we are told tlfat many believed on Him, and 
that the Pharisees were greatly alarmed at the effect 
of this great miiacle. "A company of Priests 
became obedient to the faith." 

Did our Lord's own disciples fully comprehend his mission ? 

No, not until after His resurrection. We are told 
by St. Luke, that during the forty days 'He opened 



9i CATECHISM. 

their minds to understand the Scriptures, and ex- 
plained to them what was written of Him in the Law 
of Moses, and in the Psalms, and in the Prophets.' 

Will you not return to the beginning of our Lord's ministry, 
and recount the leading events ? 

After His baptism He went in the Spirit to the 
wilderness, and fasted forty days. When He was 
hungered, the Devil, or Evil Spirit, approached Him 
with three distinct temptations. Christ repelled his 
attacks by words of Holy Writ, then angels ministered 
to Him. 

Did not our Lord begin to preach as soon as John was 
cast into the prison? 

Yes, He took up also the same theme : '^ Repent ye, 
and believe the Gospel." He went into Galilee and 
abode in Capernaum, and preached in the Synagogues 
of Galilee every Sabbath day. About this time He 
preached the sermon on the Mount, {Matthew 5, 
6, 7,) embracing the eight beatitudes, the Lord's 
prayer, lessons on prayer and fasting, and precepts 
for the regulation of the whole life. 

Was not the sermon on the mount preached to the multi* 
tude? 

Yes. His disciples were also Ivith Him, on this oc- 
casion. Christ, during His ministry of three years, 
preached everywhere, in the cities and villages, on the 
mountains, in the plains of Galilee, in Judea and Sama- 
ria, and inSyro-Phenicia. — Matt, 25, 22, Mark'jih, 26. 
His teachings and reproofs were heard in the Temple, 
and one of His most beautiful parables from a boat 
on the lake: "A sower went forth to sow." 



CATECHISM. 95 

What was the first miracle of our Lord? 

His first miracle was performed at a wedding in 
Cana, where He turned water to wine. His attend- 
ance at Cana, consecrates the holy marriage rite. 



LESSON XIX. 

TUB PARABLES. 
Our Lord taught by parables, what are parables? 

The exact definition of a parable is not easy. We 
explain it in saying a parable presents a picture to 
the mind. 

Where do we find the most remarkable paral)les of our 
Lord ? 

In the 15th and i6th chapters of Luke we find the 
* 'Prodigal Son" and the ''Rich Man and Lazarus.'' 
In the T3th chapter of Matthew we find the parable 
of the "Sower." This was probably the first parable 
spoken by the Master. What dignity surrounds the 
person of the divine husbandman ! 

Do we not find in this chapter of Matthew, the parable of 
the net enclosing good and bad fishes^ also the merchantman 
seeking goodly pearls ? 

Yes; the parable of the "net" imphes the separa- 
tion that must take place in the day of retribution. 
The earnestness of the pearl diver or merchant in 
seeking the pearls of great price, declares the value 
of religion beyond all other things. 

What of the parable of the good Samaritan? 
This was related to the Jews (Luke loth) to allay 
the prejudice of the Jews against the Samaritans, 



96 CATECHISM. 

The one grateful leper among the ten was a Samari- 
tan, but this is not a parable, it is the recital of a fact. 
'*The Laborers in the Vineyard," ''The Unfruitful Fig 
Tree," ''The Ten Virgins," 'The Lost Sheep," "The 
Talents," all present significant images of daily life. 

Where do we find the most vivid picture of the last judg- 
ment? 

In the 25th chap, of St. Matthew. Here we see a 
distinct line drawn between those who will stand on 
the right hand of the Judge and those on the left. 
We hear, too, the voice of the son of man saying to 
those on the right hand, "Come, ye blessed," and to 
those on the left, "Depart, ye Cursed." 

Do not Mark and Luke give a full account of the Institution 
of the Lord's Supper, the ;?^w Passover ? 

Yes; "This do in remembrance of me," is a posi- 
tive injunction. How can we neglect a feast pre- 
pared by the King of Saints ? 

Does not St. John record the washing of the disciples 
feet, on the evening of the Passover? 

Yes ; there had been strife among them which 
should be the greatest, hence this expressive symbol 
is given them of humility. — John IS. 

Did not the idea still cling to the disciples, that their 
Master should sit upon a throne? 

This idea seems very evident from the request of 
Salome, the mother of James and John, for the pref- 
erment of her sons. {See Matthew 20-21,) Peter 
seems to have had clearer notions of the mission of 
Christ than the other disciples. Peter, James, and 



CATECHISM. 97 

John were the favored witnesses of some of the most 
interesting incidents in our Lord's life, yet in the 
terrible circumstances connected with his arrest and 
crucifixion terror and dismay filled their hearts. 

Does not our Lord shed a lustre on the domestic circle, in 
his visits to the family at Bethany? 

His interviews and conversations with Mary and 
Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, are very beautitful. — 
Read John ^ 11th chap. Mary testified her affection 
for Christ in breaking the box of precious ointment 
and pouring it on his head a few days before his 
death. 

After the arrest of Jesus did not Pilate send him to Herod? 

Pilate, hoping to shift responsibility, sent Jesus to 
Herod; Herod sent him back. Vilsite found no /auU 
in hmi, but the Roman Governor was afraid of the 
Jewish hierarchy, afraid lest they should report that 
he was not a friend to Caesar. 

What of the traitor Judas? 

Judas, full of remorse, threw down the money, 
went out and killed himself. — Read Matthew^ 27//? 
chap, and Acts ^ \st chap. 

Did not John, the beloved disciple, and Mary, His mother, 
and Mary Magdalene stand by the cross? 

Yes ; and to John our Saviour committed the care 
of his mother, and that disciple took her to his own 
home. For six hours our Lord hung on the cross. 
His death was voluntary. He laid down his life and 
he took it again. Jesus^ agony was in a great degree 
mental. ^'He bore our sins in his own body on the 



98 CATECHISM. 

Is not this the meaning of the mysterious cry, *' My God, 
my God, why hast Thou forsaken me " ? 

We suppose this is the meaning of that cry. If we, 
sinful as we are, find it hard to bear a wounded 
spirit, if remorse for one unrepented sin fills our souls 
with dismay, how surpassing all human conception 
must his agony have been who suffered for the sins of 
the whole world. Is it not appalling to contemplate 
such suffering ? 

How could the Father in Heaven permit it? 

Self sacrifice brings fain but it brings glory too. 
^'We must look upon both sides of the life of Jesus." 
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, for the joy 
that was set before him endured the cross, despising 
the shame, and is set down on the throne of the right 
hand of God. — Hebrews 12:2. 

Did not our Lord, when on the cross, intercede for his 
murderers? 

Yes; he said, ^'Father, forgive them, for they 
know not what they do. " To the penitent thief at 
his side he said, * 'To-day shalt thou be with me in 
Paradise." ''//is finished," is the last saying of our 
Lord on the cross, recorded by St. John, meaning 
that the work of redemption was complete. 

Does not the 53d chapter of Israel, say that our Lord made 
his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death ? 

Yes. He was crucified with thieves. Joseph, a rich 
man of Anmathea, together with Nicodemus, an 
honorable counselor, wrapped his body in fine linen 
and laid it in a new tomb. 



CATECHISM. 99 

Who was Mary Magdelene to whom Christ first appeared 
after his resurrection? 

It is supposed that this Mary derived her ni'me 
from Magdala, her native city. Others say she. was 
the woman in the city, (5/. Luke vii, 37, 38, 39,) 
who broke the alabaster box of ointment on the head 
of Jesus, and washed His feet with penitent tears. 
The name of this penitent is not mentioned. This 
anointing must not be confounded with the * ^spike- 
nard, very costly, '' that Mary of Bethany (6?. John 
11) poured upon the head of her Lord. It is certain 
that Mary Magdalene became a devoted follower of 
Jesus. He had cast out of her seven devils, /. e.: 
Jesus had cured her bodily malady, she had been a 
lunatic, and Christ had set her feet in the paths 
of virtue. 

Had she not cause to watch, both at His cross and at His 
tomb? 

Yes. Christ next appeared to Peter. Twice He 
met the disciples on the first day of the week. A 
third time on the lake shore. 

Did not His ascension take place forty days afrer His 
resurrection? 

Yes ; It is recorded by Matthew, Mark and Luke 
that Jesus ascended to heaven in the presence of his 
disciples from a mountain in Galilee. He said to 
them, *^\11 power is given to me in heaven and in 
earth. Go ye into all the world and teach all nations, 
baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and 
Holy Ghost. Teaching thisrn to observe whatsoever 
I have commanded you, and, lo ! I am with you 



100 CATECHISM. 

alway, even unto the end of the world/' — St. Matthew 
22> chap., i8, 19, 20 vs, 

Wh}rare Baptism and the Lord's Supper called Sacraments, 
when Confirmation is said to be merely a holy rite? 

Because baptism and the Lord's Supper were ap- 
pointed by Christ himself, *'an outward sign was given 
as a symbol of inward spiritual grace." It is quite 
certain that ''the laying on of hands" or confirmation 
was practised by the early church as a mode of con- 
fessing Christ. 

\Vhat scriptural authority is there? 

In the 8th chapter of the Acts we are told that Samaria 
had received the word of God through the preaching 
of Philip, the Deacon. When the apostles at Jerusalem 
heard this they sent unto them Peter and John, who 
laid their hands on the baptized believers and they re- 
ceived the Holy Ghost. From this incident has arisien 
the custom of confirmation in many branches of the 
Christian church. The apostles were required by our 
Lord to remain in Jerusalem until the day of Pen- 
tecost. 

How long was this day after the resurrection? 

Fifty days. On this pentecostal day the comforter, 
the Holy Ghost, was sent as the Saviour had prom- 
ised. 

Who were the most distinguished heralds of the Cross, in 
the early apostolic age ? 

Peter, James and John among the twelve ; Stephen 
and Philip, of the deacons; Paul, Apollos, Mark, 
Barnabus, Timotliy and Titus; but Paid, as a 



CATECH1§M. 101 

preacher and writer,^ was more abundant in work than 
they all. 



LESSON XX. 

Were not the first converts to the Christian Church 
chiefly Jews? 

Yes, ahhough the Jews, as a nation, rejected Christ, 
yet a large proportion of the first converts to the 
faith of Christ, were Jews. 

How many Christians were assembled in the upper room 
{^Acis /, 75,) at Jerusalem, when they met to elect an apostle 
in the place of Judas? 

The number of the names together were about 120. 
^* Mary, the mother of Jesus, with the women. His 
brethren, the apostles, and others, continued in 
prayer and suppHcation. " But on the day of Pente- 
cost, 40 days from this time, 3000 souls were added 
"to the Church, 

Did not Peter preach on this occasion, the Pentecostal day? 

Yes, Peter stood up with the eleven and preached 
to the people with such power, that many cried out, 
'^ Men and brethern what shall we do?^' 

Did not Peter say, " Repent and be baptized, and ye shall 
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost " ? 

Yes, many gladly received his word and were 
baptized. These converts seem to have been Jews 
from many different nations. They had come from 
the far east, from the west, from Egypt and from 
Rome, to keep the feast. 



102 CATECHISM. 

Do we not read in the 9th chapter of the Acts, of the 
conversion of Paul the Pharisee? 

The conversion of Paul took place as he was 
journeying from Jerusalem to Damascus, armed with 
authority to persecute the Christians. His conversion 
took place shortly after he had witnessed the martyr- 
dom of Stephen, a deacon of the Church. The 
eloquence of Paul is seen in the 2 2d and 26th chap- 
ters of Acts. 

Who was the first remarkable Gentile convert? 
Cornelius, a Roman captain, his beautiful history 
is told in the loth chapter of the Acts. On the oc- 
casion of the conversion of Cornelius, St. Peter seems 
to realize for the first time^ the great truth *'that God is 
no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that 
feareth Him, and worketh righteousness is accepted 
with Him." 

When the Gentiles entered the Christian Church, were 
they required to conform to Jewish ceremonies? 

No, the ceremonial law gradually passed away. We 
learn from the isth chapter of Acts, that the first 
Christian council met at Jerusalem, Paul and Barna- 
bas were sent thither by the Church, to confer upon 
the question of Circumcision. The apostles and 
elders there assembled, declared that Circumcision for 
the Gentiles was unnecessary. 

Did not Peter and James, both give their sentence against 
it? 

Yes; they both spoke against the requirement. 
James seems to have presided in this council. 



CATECHISM. 103 

Was there any decreie made with regard to the change of 
the Sabbath day ? 

No; but the obligations to keep a seventh part of 
our time as a Sabbath, is imperative. The observance 
of the first day in the week, from the period of our 
Lord's ressurrection, is evident from the meeting of 
our Lord with His disciples on several successive 
occasions. — John 20, 7. Acts 20. 

Does not St. Paul speak of meeting together regularly on 
the first day of the week? 

Yes, in Cor. : 16, 2. St. John also calls this day, 
the Lord's day. 

Does not Isaiah in his 58th chapter, promise special 
blessings to those who turn away from their owji pleasure on 
this holy day? 

Yes; unspeakable blessings rest upon those who 
honor God's Sabbath, in every age and in every na- 
tion. The rites cf sacrifice and circumcision, have 
vanished away, but the name and duties of the Sab- 
bath, enshrined as it is in the Moral Code, must for- 
ever remain. 

What special promise has Christ given to His Church ? 
* * Where two or three are gathered together in my 
name, there am I in the midst of them." — Matt. 18. 
^'Lo! I am with you al way, even to the end of the 
world."— J/^//. 28, 20. 



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